First Impressions
by Aryillia
Summary: A little series showing how some of the member of the Inquisition react to each other when they meet for the first time or get to have their first one on one conversation with each other. First impressions are important! Features various characters. Based around Human Mage Inquisitor.
1. Cassandra and Cullen

First Impressions

Cassandra and Cullen

Cullen stood hunched forward over his desk and sighed deeply. It felt like he sighed a lot nowadays. His body ached, he felt drained, irritated, defeated. He had taken command of Kirkwall's Templars after Knight Commander Meredith went insane. The whole event was a bloody affair, one that will stain the pages of history for ages to come. Even though the Champion of Kirkwall, Kaylien Hawke stood against Meredith's insanity and tried to protect the mages a lot of lives were lost that night. Either succumbing to the blades of the Templars who followed Meredith, Blood Magic or that damned Orsino. Without her intervention however, it could have been a lot worse. He silently cursed himself at the memory, regretting not seeing Meredith's insanity sooner. He heard the warnings, saw the signs but chose to ignore them. He didn't want to believe that it was true of someone he looked up to so much. When rumors that he went insane and killed mages after the events in Fereldan surfaced, she was always the first one who stood up for him and silenced his naysayers. She placed her faith in him, and he couldn't help but do the same. He couldn't help but think that the faith he had in her was partly to blame for things going this far. If only he had saw through her sooner...did something to stop it. The mages that remained in the Circle no longer trusted themselves under Templar care. He was constantly breaking up fights between them and the Templars that remained under his command. It was a pointless venture in the end however, as the mages eventually rebelled and left the Circle. He pulled his men back, instructed them to let them go as long as they did so peacefully. There weren't enough Templars to fight against the remaining mages and Kirkwall had seen enough war. It was still recovering from the last one which would take years. At first, the Champion helped him maintained order, but eventually, she left in hopes of sparing Kirkwall any further trouble once rumors that Divine Justinia would be bringing an exalted march to Kirkwall. Thankfully, the march never came and Cullen was able to steer the remaining Templars into working with Kirkwall's guards to bring back order and aid with the city's recovery. Progress had been slow and steady, however, there were more problems that he had to face within the Templars. There were mummers of discontent, some were upset at the mages being allowed to leave. They wanted to hunt them, kill them out of fear, anger and hate and they were willing to toss aside the vows they had taken as Templars to protect all life. Cullen sighed at the thought. He was doing what he can to maintain order, but he knew it was a battle he would eventually lose. He was beginning to feel restless as well. Around Thedas, the war between Templars and mages was escalating and innocent people were trapped in the middle. It didn't feel right for him to just sit by idly while it happened. Though he knew the war between mages and Templars was most likely a long time coming, he couldn't help but feel that his previous idleness brought this to bear sooner than it might have been. A knock on his door jarred him from his thoughts.

"Enter..." He pushed himself away from his desk and crossed his arms in front his chest. A Templar entered the room and saluted Cullen. He didn't bother to return the salute, his previous thoughts still tugging at his mind. The Templar shifted uncomfortably.

"Well? What is it?" Cullen asked, irritation evident in his voice.

"Ser...There is a..." The Templar hesitated, he cleared his throat and continued. "There is a Seeker here. She wants to speak with you." Cullen let his hands drop. He now understood the Templar's behavior. Seekers showed up when Templars failed to do their job. Their reputations were the stuff of nightmares for Templars. He honestly expected them to show up a lot sooner. When they hadn't, he foolishly thought they wouldn't show at all.

"Send her in immediately." The Templar saluted again and went to retrieve the Seeker.

Cassandra was escorted into Cullen's office by a rather Timid Templar. She was use to such behavior around her. She knew what she stood for, what she meant to other Templars. She entered Cullen's office. He saluted her and she returned it.

"Knight-Captain Cullen, I am Cassandra Pentaghast..."

"The Right Hand of the Divine?" He blurted suddenly, interrupting her. "It is an honor to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine. I'm actually glad you know who I am. That will make this go a bit smoother." She looked him over before continuing. He was a handsome man, and a lot younger than she expected. According to her sources, he single handedly kept the Templar order in Kirkwall together after Meredith's death, no small feat. She continued.

"I do not have to tell you what chain of events Kirkwall have caused as the effects started here before spreading out to the rest of Thedas." He nodded, his lips pressed into a tight frown but he remained silent. "You have heard rumors that the Divine plans to call a Conclave?" He nodded again.

" What you may not know is that the Divine is committed to stopping this war before any more innocent lives are taken by it..by any means necessary."

"What exactly is any means necessary?"

"The Divine has...plans that she is ready to set in motion in case the Conclave fails. We are hoping that it will not be necessary but in case it is. We would like you to oversee our military concerns." He stared at her in surprise. When she first arrived, he hadn't expected the conversation to go this way. He expected to be berated for the Templar's failure. Instead, the seeker had approached him about a rather vague offer.

"I don't understand...what plan is this? What do you mean by military concern?" Cassandra remained quiet, considering her next words.

"Things cannot remain the way they are. I'm sure this is something you agree with. If the mages and Templars cannot see reason we will make them see reason. We will not allow anymore lives to be lost. I understand that this is a lot to take in and you must take time to consider. I do not expect..."

"I accept." He responded, cutting her off. She rose a brow and stared at him.

"Are you certain? Do you truly understand what I am asking of you? I am asking you to leave the order behind and with that, any old prejudices you might have. You may be required to work with mages, to trust them as allies."

"I understand Seeker and I do not think you would have sought me out if you do not think that I was capable of working with mages."

"That...is true. I know that you worked with the Champion to protect the mages against Meredith's insanity and against the more...zealous members of the order. Still, you have been a Templar for quite some time. I am surprised that you would so readily leave."

"Before you came in here Seeker, I was thinking of my life...what I have done and what I am doing. My time in Kirkwall...my time with the order, I believe it is done. The Circle around Thedas have fallen and the land has descended into chaos. I can give no more to the Templar order. I want to do more to bring order back to the world. I believe the Maker has shown me a new path and I feel that I must take it. Cassandra smiled at him.

"Well spoken Knight-Captain...We welcome you and pray that your help will not be needed. Get your affairs in order, we leave for Haven at first light."


	2. Varric and Cullen

A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who has read so far and followed this series. I hope you enjoy this one as well!

Varric and Cullen

Varric watched as the procession of Mages and Templars made their way to the Temple of Sacred Ashes. It seemed like a lifetime ago that he saw Mages and Templars side by side without trying to kill each other. He rolled his shoulders, Bianca shifting slightly on his back at the action. He was grateful the Seeker let him keep Bianca with him. He never felt quite right without her by his side and being this close to all these Templars and Mages made him feel nervous. It was like being surrounded by barrels of gaatlok with flames licking dangerously close to the fuse. He wouldn't hesitate to put a bolt between the eyes of any of moron that tried to start something here. He was beyond tired of this Mages, templar war or more accurately, he was tired of the innocent people getting caught in the middle of this Mage, Templar war. He watched in silence as the procession continued, the weary faces of the Mages and Templar mirrored each other. It was clear that he wasn't the only one tired of this war. Varric looked up to the two guards Cassandra had left to watch over him and flashed his patented grin.

"Any of you gentlemen know how to play wicked grace?" The guards looked to each other than to him and shook their heads no in unison. "Ah, no worries." Varric responded, his grin growing wider. "I can teach you." Varric reached into the pocket of his duster to pull out his deck of cards but stopped short, spotting a familiar face.

"Ah, hold that thought. There is someone I have to speak to first." Before any of the guards could raise an objection or do anything to stop him, Varric was already moving towards the person in question.

Cullen watched as the last group of Mages and Templars made their way over the bridge leading to the temple approach. The sound of shouting drew his attention away from the group, his eyes searching for the source of the sound. His gaze settled on a dwarven male and two guards chasing behind after him.

"Knight-Captain!" The dwarf exclaimed, gesturing with his arms as he said it. Cullen cocked a brow at the familiarity of the greeting. He started at the dwarf in silence. He's seen him before hasn't he?, mostly clean shaven, hair pulled back into a ponytail, open tunic showing off a mass of chest hair, gold earrings on both ears? Ah yes, he has seen this dwarf before. This is one of the friends of the Champion.

"Serah Tethras..." Cullen blurted out as the name came to mind. Varric grinned.

"Glad to see you remember me!" He responded as he came to a stop in front of him, the two guards arriving shortly after.

"Lady Cassandra said we are suppose to keep an eye on you dwarf! You can't just go running off like that!"

"Come now..." Varric said, giving them a mock wounded look. "It's not like I was trying to run away. I just wanted to chat with an old friend of mine." Varric returned his gaze to Cullen and smiled. "Isn't that right Knight-Captain?" Cullen cocked his brow once more. Friend? This is possibly the first time he's actually spoken to the dwarf without the champion in the forefront. The other guards looked to Cullen for confirmation of Varric's claims. Cullen gave a non-committal shrug.

"I suppose we can..."

"Excellent!" Varric responded cutting him off. "Now, if you guys don't mind just giving us a bit of privacy? I swear, I won't move from this spot." Hesitantly, the guards took a few steps back, giving the two some semblance of privacy.

"Exactly when did we become friends?" Cullen asked Varric, turning to him fully, his hands crossed in front of his chest and his face turned down into a disappointing frown.

"No time like the present." Varric replied, still grinning.

"Right..."

"Soooooo, not heading up to the Conclave Knight-Captain? I thought that was the reason you were here."

"I am no longer a Knight-Captain."

"What do you mean? Got demoted or something?"

"No, I quit the order."

"Huh...really? I didn't know Templars could quit the order. Thought it was a for life kind of thing." Cullen remained silent for a few minutes.

"It isn't..." He finally replied." Most Templars choose to stay with the order because it is hard to be without lyrium for extended periods of time." He paused for a few minutes, deciding whether he should continue. "Do you remember Samson? You and the Champion came across him did you not?" Varric nodded at the mention of his name.

"Yeah, on more than one occasion. I remember him in the streets of Lowtown asking for handouts of lyrium dust." Cullen frowned and shook his head in disgust.

"Lyrium withdrawal can cause a templar to lose touch with reality. They suffer from delusions, disorientation and a whole host of other issues. Lyrium gives Templars their power but it also puts them under the boot of the Chantry. There aren't many that can resist the effects of the withdrawal so most Templars just stay with the order, even if they don't want to." Varric stared and shook his head in disbelief.

"That's...well that's pretty fucked up. I don't get it. If Templars know this, why use the stuff?"

"Templars don't know it. They don't broadcast this information when you first join the order. You are told you need the lyrium to strengthen you and develop our skills in repelling magic. When you are given your first draught, you don't see it as anything less than an honor...your reward for fully joining the order. It is seen as a necessary evil, just another sacrifice made to protect others against demons, blood magic and abominations." Silence stretched between them as Varric thought about Cullen's words. The Templars paid such a heavy price to protect them from the dangers of magic. He had no clue they had to go through something like this and he was sure other people didn't know either. He couldn't help but feel a bit of respect for the order, but at the same time, he felt a wave of disgust. The Chantry had to know what the lyrium did to the Templars, but they used it anyway. There had to be another way right? It seemed so wrong.

"Then that means you no longer use lyrium?" Cullen did not reply. Instead, he stared off towards the Temple of Sacred Ashes that loomed in the distance before them. Varric continued, his voice low as he worked out this realization. "You quit the order knowing that you would have to go through this withdrawal." Cullen remained silent. Varric stared up at him. He didn't seem to show any signs of the withdrawal that he mentioned. He seemed as calm and collected as ever. "You are a pretty strong guy Curly."

"Curly?" Cullen asked, finally breaking his silence, his gaze falling back onto Varric who was grinning up at him.

"Yep. Curly. Your new nickname."

"Lucky me." Cullen replied dryly.

"You are lucky." Varric replied with a laugh. "I still get shit from Aveline for not coming up with a good nickname for her."

"Did you have one for the Champion as well?"

"Hawke? Of Course! She was Chuckles. Never have I met a bigger smartass."

"Excluding yourself of course?" Cullen asked with a small smirk.

"HA! Curly knows how to tell a joke! Who knew? And he actually knows how to make a facial expression other than frowning. This is a day of wonders! You know, you should actually try doing that more often."

"Doing what?"

"Not frowning. It's not good for your health you know." Varric replied with a grin.

"I guess that's why you always grin so much? I always thought it was because you were setting someone up for some sort of con."

"Two for two! Pace yourself Curly, you are still new at this. Don't want to overstrain yourself too much." Cullen couldn't help but let out a small chuckle which Varric shared in. After a bit, the laughter died down and Cullen turned from Varric to stare up at the Temple of Sacred Ashes once again. The last group should have already arrived, the Conclave should be underway now.

"You think this will work? " Varric asked, his grin no longer on his face, his eyes following Cullen's gaze to the Temple. "The Conclave I mean...do you really think it will work?" Cullen sighed and closed his eyes.

"I pray that it does...but realistically I don't think it will. Both sides feel passionately about the issue. When two sides both think they are right, it is hard to find compromise. This fighting has to stop. One way or another." Varric nodded in agreement.

"So Curly, if you aren't here to be a part of the Conclave, why are you here?" Cullen opened his mouth to answer but his voice was caught in his throat as a sky above the Temple tore open and a green blast of light struck the temple.

"Maker's breath!" Cullen managed to choke out before the Temple exploded, the blast almost completely annihilating the temple.

"Not again.." was all Varric managed to utter before the concussive blast knocked he and Cullen off their feet.


	3. Solas and Leliana

A/N: Thanks again to all who have read and followed this series. Have a safe and happy New Year!

" " - spoken

' ' - Thought 

Solas and Leliana

'I failed her...' Leliana thought to herself as she stared up at the massive green tear that ripped a hole in the sky. Streaks of energy crackled from it, striking wildly out at the world beneath it, destroying remains of the temple that weren't destroyed in the initial explosion. 'No...' She thought, shaking her head. 'I did not fail her. HE failed her.' Even if she and Cassandra had come back from Kirkwall earlier, there was nothing they could have done. They would have just died beside the Divine and everyone else at the Conclave. There is only one who could have intervened. Only One who could have saved the most holy and he had not. HE let her and all the others who just wanted peace die. She could feel the anger bubbling up inside of her, her stomach twisted in a painful knot, her fist clenched. Why? Why had the Maker let her die? What was the point of all this? Was this another test? Some sick trial she had to endure? Hadn't she done enough? Hadn't she given enough? Haven't they all? Leliana shook her head, trying to ignore these thoughts and her anger. Anger would not serve her right now. They needed to find out what happened and how to stop it. She needed to be focused. Leliana looked down to the report she clutched in her hand. The hole was expanding and the bigger it got, the more dangerous it became. Her scouts reported that smaller tears began to open up around Thedas and demons were pouring out of them. They had no clues to what happened save one and it was currently unconscious and unable to tell them anything. She replayed the events leading up to the Conclave's destruction in her head. She and Cassandra had just returned from Kirkwall. They were unable to find The Champion of Kirkwall or the Hero of Fereldan but the trip was not a complete loss. They had gained the assistance of Knight-Captain Cullen and Cassandra hoped that the Divine would be able to convince the dwarf Varric whom had previously adventured with the Champion of Kirkwall to join them if the Conclave had failed. By the time they reached Haven, only stragglers were making the pilgrimage to the Temple of Sacred Ashes. Those not important enough to be invited but wanted to be close enough to hear news the minute word of the Conclave's success or failure broke. She wanted to join the Divine but knew that once the Conclave started, no one would be allowed to enter until it was completed. She was not worried, before leaving, Cassandra had assigned the most elite soldiers the Chantry could offer as her personal guard and she had scouts posted around the Temple for weeks before the Conclave to ensure that no one that was not sanctioned entered the Temple. They would not have a repeat of what happened in Kirkwall...or so she thought.

"Sister Leliana!" She looked up at the sound of her name to one of her scouts running toward her. "Sister Leliana." He repeated once he reached her. "We have someone, a mage. He says he knows what this is" He gestured up to the sky as he spoke. "...and wants to help. He surrendered his staff. I thought it best to bring him to you first. Lady Cassandra does not know about him yet."

"Take me to him, quickly." She replied, slightly relived that Cassandra hadn't heard about him first. If she had, he would be dead before they could even question him. The scout nodded and lead the way. Solas stood statue still, encircled by guards, swords drawn and pointed at him. Their eyes wary, accusing, each passing moment made Solas regret his decision to come here a little more. He knew he could not stand idly by when this 'breach' threatened to swallow Thedas whole, but coming to a place filled with the Divine's most faithfully was equally dangerous for an apostate elf.

"Who are you?"

A smooth feminine voice came from behind him. He guessed from the accent that the woman was Orlesian.

"I am Solas..." He replied, not turning to face her. With so many swords trained on him, he didn't think it was wise to make any sudden movements.

"Why are you here? Do you know something about this explosion?"

"I do not know what caused the explosion but I do have an idea regarding the aftermath of the explosion." Leliana stopped behind the bald elf, her eyes focused on his smooth head. It occurred to her that she has never seen a bald elf before. It made his ears that much more of a prominent feature. What an odd thought to have at this moment she mused and shook her head, getting back to the topic at hand.

"You are referring to the tear in the sky?"

"Yes, though I think a more accurate term would be breach."

"Breach? Breach into what?"

"I would prefer if we could have this conversation face to face and without so many swords drawn on me if at all possible." Leliana remained silent for a few moments. Solas could hear footsteps crushing behind him in the snow. Whispering now, followed by silence once again. Leliana spoke again after a few minutes.

"You were in a neighboring village. Why?" Solas face registered a brief moment of surprise before returning to the collected calm facade he had been maintaining this entire time. How did she know that? Though, this did work in his favor.

"I was here for the same reason as everyone else. The Conclave. Even though I am an apostate, the war between Mages and Templars affects me just the same. I wanted to know the outcome, though I didn't think it wise for me to get too close, considering." Leliana stepped into his view. He allowed his eyes to look her over. She was human, no surprise there. The Chantry only employed humans for positions of power. Her red hair peeked from beneath her hood, framing her face. It meshed well with her pale skin and blue eyes. She was not dressed in soldiers' armor. Rather she wore a light armor comprised of leather and chainmail. He surmised she must be a scout of some sort.

"You were still in the village when the explosion occurred." It was a statement rather than a question. Solas nodded in the affirmative. Leliana gave a slight nod and the soldiers lowered their blades but stayed enclosed around Solas.

"What is the tear a breach into?"

"The fade itself." He searched Leliana's face, it remained impassive. The same could not be said of the soldiers that circled him. The glanced at each other, dread filling their faces. He could tell that they have heard stories of the fade. They grew up on the Chantry's rhetoric no doubt, told only how the fade contained demons and all manner of evils things. They had no idea of the knowledge and wonder the fade held. But this woman...His eyes moved to Leliana again. He could tell she had experienced the fade, in some way, some form and it seemed as if she knew the breach had some relation to the fade. She only needed him to confirm it.

"You do not have facial tattoos. You are not one of the Dalish?" Solas hesitated, unsure as to nature of the subject change. Leliana watched him intently, waiting for him to answer.

"It is called Vallaslin...blood writing. It is a bit different than what you humans refer to as tattoos and no I am not one of the Dalish." He said the last part a bit harsher than he intended. If she picked up on the change in his demeanor, her face did not show it.

"Are you a member of a circle then?" So that was it, Solas thought to himself. She wanted to discern if he was an apostate.

"No, I am not nor have I ever been a part of the Circle. I have studied magic peacefully on my own." Again, she did not seem surprised by this answer, it was possible that she already knew the answer to this question as well. Truly she showed very little reaction to anything he has said thus far. Then why ask it? The thought frustrated Solas a bit. He felt the entire process was a bit tedious. His eyes widened slightly when revelation hit him. It wasn't the answers she was looking for, it was HOW he answered. She was gauging his reactions, his body movement, his tone. This woman was no simple scout.

"So you are an apostate."

"I am." Solas replied simply.

"And you willingly admit this."

"I do. Hiding it does not seem wise when trying to gain a modicum of trust." She allowed a small smirk to play on her lips from his comment. The first time she has shown some sort of reaction.

"I gather in these peaceful studies of yours, you have studied the fade?" Solas nodded and folded his hands behind his back, trying to remain as relaxed as possible, despite the fact that he felt like a ram in a den of hungry wolves. The soldiers tensed at the action but remained still.

"Indeed. I have spent most of my life studying the fade and its wonders. I know more about the fade than any Circle mage possibly could and given the chance to study the breach, I may be able to figure out a way to stop it."

"Or finish what you or your accomplice have started." She said, folding her arms in front of her chest.

"With all due respect, if I truly were the person behind the destruction of the Conclave, what would be the point? Everyone of importance perished at the Temple of Sacred Ashes. Killing anyone here would be pointless." Leliana visibly stiffened at his words. Her eyes narrowed and her lips pressed into a tight frown. She glared at him, determining what she should do with him. Solas remained still, his hands still folded behind his back, not flinching from Leliana's glare.

"And what makes you so sure that you can stop this?" Solas hesitated for a moment.

"I do not know for certain that I can stop it. However, attempting to do so is surely better than doing nothing at all. This breach is growing, I am sure you have noticed this. Each time it grows, more demons spill forth from breach. I imagine that smaller rifts have began to appear as well correct? First near the main breach and slowly spreading out? Energy has wildly struck out from the breach as well hasn't it? Destroying anything it has touched?" Leliana did not reply. Solas decided to continue, feeling sure that was exactly what was happening. "Left unchecked, it will continue to expand and no place will be safe from its reach. If I can just study one of the smaller rifts anything that might have survived the blast, I could possibly fine a way to slow down its expansion if not stop it completely." Leliana remained silent, considering his words.

"If you truly are trying to help Solas..." Leliana finally said, breaking the uncomfortable silence between them. "Then I truly thank you and welcome your help. I am Sister Leliana. It is a pleasure to meet you." Solas gave a short bow of his head.

"Likewise."

"We will allow you to study one of the smaller rifts, but you will do so under guard." Solas nodded. There is one more thing." She continued, turning her back to him. "I am not the only person you have to convince." She looked over her shoulder and flashed him a wary smile. "Come, I will take you to meet Cassandra..."


	4. Varric and Solas

A/N: Thanks to everyone following and reading this series! Feel free to review!

Solas and Varric

"Can you stop doing that?" Varric looked up to Solas, puzzled by his comment.

"Doing what?"

"Stroking your crossbow. It's...disturbing." Varric gave Solas a mock look of indignation.

"I'll have you know I am always a gentleman to Bianca...in public." He grinned as he added the last two words making Solas give a tsk of displeasure before returning his attention to the unconscious form of Kira Trevelyan which lay before him. In truth, Varric hadn't done anything wrong. He was extremely quiet as he fiddled with the crossbow he seemed to have an unhealthy attachment to, as were the other four guards posted in the poorly lit cell with them. The problem lay solely with Solas. He was frustrated. Every test he had run to understand the mark on Kira's hand had failed. Every spell he used to try to close one of the smaller rifts had failed. He was unable to contact any spirits to get further knowledge on the rifts or the mark because the demons pouring from the breach scared them away. He was running out of ideas and time. Solas grasped Kira's hand in his once again and stared at the mark on her hand. It flared suddenly, he dropped her hand in surprise as energy pulsated wildly from it. The mark expanded again and he theorized that if he went to check the breach outside, that would have grown again as well. She grunted, her face contorted in agony, her body arched off the ground and she let out a strangled cry of pain. Despite this, her eyes remained closed, her consciousness still in its deep slumber. Solas grasped her hand once more and enveloped her hand with his free one and focused his magic into the mark. Slowly her face body eased back down, her face relaxed and her breathing steadied.

"It's happening more often." Varric said, startling Solas. He hadn't heard Varric move from his spot across the room, but here he was, behind him, Bianca in his hands, aimed at Kira.

"Yes and if something isn't done soon, she will die."

"If something isn't done soon, we will all die." Varric corrected, lowering his crossbow.

Solas lifted his hand from hers. The energy from the mark throbbed dully, subdued for the moment by the magic Solas pushed into it. 'If on this would work on the rifts.' He thought bitterly as he idly traced the mark with his finger. This mark had secrets just waiting to be uncovered the seeker made it very clear that he was running out of time. He knew that soon he would wear out his welcome. It was time for him to think about leaving. He hated to do it, to leave this task unfinished, but the volley of threats the Seeker continually hurled at him was a constant reminder of the danger he was in. The last time they spoke, she made it very clear that if he did not produce results soon, she would have him killed as an only he had more time to study the mark and the breach. He was sure he could find a solution to sighed and placed Kira's hand back down. He turned to Varric who had already moved back to his spot in the corner of the dank cell they were in, resuming his maintenance on Bianca while keeping one wary eye on him and Kira.

"Why are you here Varric?" Solas asked, standing from his spot and stretching.

"What? don't tell me your not enjoying my company?" He asked with a grin. Solas ignored the jest.

"I know you are not a member of the Chantry. They do not allow non-humans in the Chantry so you aren't here due to your allegiance to them. So why are you here? Why have you come to Haven?"

"I received a lovely invitation from the Seeker that I just couldn't pass up...even if I wanted to." Varric replied, wry smile on his face.

"I see...and why specifically are you in this room?" Varric stopped fiddling with Bianca and eyed Solas, his face devoid of any levity it once had.

"Because, while I am sure these soldiers are great at their job, Bianca here." Varric raised Bianca and pointed it at Solas. "Can fill you with four bolts before you even get a chance to wiggle your fingers and cast a spell." Solas shook his head.

"So that's it. Cassandra sent you here to watch over us and to kill us in case we do something suspicious. I suppose I should not be surprised. She has threatened me with death more than enough times."

"You got it all wrong Chuckles. The Seeker didn't send me here. I volunteered. And before you ask why, it's because I sat by idly before when I knew someone was doing something wrong. It caused the deaths of a hundred innocent people. There's no way I'm letting something like that happen again. Whatever the Seekers threats are against you are between you and her. I'm just here to make sure things don't get worse. There are a lot of innocent people here."

"So if Cassandra asked you to kill me because I am not producing results fast enough?"

"Not my business. I'm not an executioner." Solas gave a short nod of his head to Varric.

"That is oddly comforting to know."

"That said, if you do something that seems remotely out of sorts I wouldn't hesitate to put a bolt between your eyes." Solas gave a soft chuckle.

"Not to make light of your threat, but exactly how would you know if I was doing something out of the ordinary? Magic itself is inherently strange to those who are not mages. You are a dwarf ser Varric, your area of expertise in magic outside of perhaps lyrium trade cannot be that extensive."

"That's a bit racist Chuckles. I feel offended. Well...it just so happens my best friend is a mage and she took joy in dragging me through a lot of shit you wouldn't believe, not that it wasn't fun mind you. In the years that I've known her, she taught me a thing or two about magic, just to make sure I would be aware of what we were going up against because I swear it seemed like damn near every mage in Kirkwall was either an abomination or a blood mage. At first I thought it was a pain in the ass but it's saved me more than once. You'd be surprised about what I know. But by all means Chuckles, feel free to doubt me." Varric flashed a grin at Solas, while cocking Bianca. He could tell that Varric was not bluffing.

"Well, I have no intention in testing that theory. I am truly here to help."

"Well then, we won't have any problems." Varric replied, lowering Bianca.

"As I said, it is comforting to know where you stand in all this. To be honest Cassandra's threats have been a bit worrisome."

"Glad I can make you feel comfortable Chuckles. Now if I were you, I'd get back to work. You may not have anything to fear from me but the Seeker is a whole different subject." Solas turned back to face the unconscious form of Kira, still slumbering peacefully as the world around her was mired in chaos.

"Another question if you would Varric."

"You're a chatty elf. I'm actually beginning to miss Broody's quiet sulking."

"I'm sorry?"

"Nothing..." Varric chuckled to himself. "What's the question?"

"The person who blew up the Chantry. He was once a friend of yours correct?"

"Yeah...once." Varric grimaced at the memory of Anders. The person who blew up the Chantry, that wasn't the guy he once knew. Anders died years ago. It was a demon walking around wearing his face. Justice my ass. There was no justice in what he did the night when the Chantry and one hundred innocence souls were snuffed out in a blaze of light. He knew Anders sanity had degraded. They all did but they hope it would just be limited to him writing manifestos and bitching about inequality. They never could have expected this.

"He is dead right?"

"Yeah...Hawke drove a blade into his back."

"And you are sure of this."

"Very sure. The citizens of Kirkwall were not very kind with his body when they found out he was the one that blew up the Chantry. I can tell you for certain, he's dead.

"Ah...I see. So he wouldn't be behind this attack then. I doubt a regular mage has the power necessary to pull off an attack like this, but a mage inhabited by a spirit is a different story. Thank you for answering my questions Varric."

"Yeah...thanks for bringing back bad memories..." Varric muttered as he returned to his maintenance on Bianca.


	5. Josephine and Cassandra

"Vultures" Cassandra muttered under her breath watching yet another noble she spurned storm off to join the growing group of other disgruntled nobles. For the last hour she had the tedious task of turning away nobles who wanted to visit ruins of the Temple of Sacred Ashes. The story was always the same, they have money and they gave generously to the Chantry so they are entitled to see the final resting place of the Divine. The very thought made her blood boil. Entitled? Just because they paid tithes to the Chantry? Preposterous. Most of these spoiled nobles did not even truly pay heed to the word of the Maker. They only paid tithes to keep up appearances. They are only making such a fuss to see the Divine because they want to be the first in their posh circle to say they did so. Cassandra gritted her teeth at the thought of it. Why was she doing this? How did she get stuck with this infuriating job? Surely she could not be the best candidate for this? Cullen flat out refused citing that he didn't have the patience to deal with the nobles and their pandering. Leliana, who is much better suited for this task also declined, stating that she had some leads to look into and it would demand all of her attention for the rest of the day. Thus, this revolting task was left to Cassandra. She snorted in disgust as she watched the Nobles bicker amongst themselves still furious that the Seeker had the gall to turn them away. She imagined that their life of privilege rarely gave them the opportunity to hear the word no. It should be a good lesson for them she thought to herself sourly. How much longer did she have to deal with this? Unfortunately, the nobles showed no sign of dispersing. Perhaps it she should just send the guards after them? She sighed heavily. No, she couldn't do that. The Inquisition is still in its infancy. In fact, they only announced it a few days ago. To do something as outlandish as shooing away annoying nobles with guards could only cripple the Inquisition. They needed all the help they could get, especially without the backing of the Chantry. But Maker! How was she to deal with these people! She sucked her teeth loudly and folded her hands across her chest. No point in whining about it. Whether she liked it or not, she was stuck with this job and she would see it through. Not a single noble would pass to the ruins of the temple of sacred ashes. Cassandra would save them from their own stupidity despite their apparent enthusiasm to rush to their own deaths. Yes, thanks to Kira Trevelyan's efforts they had stabilized the breach. That didn't mean it was safe. In fact, it was far from so. There were still demons that roamed the area that they hadn't had the chance to hunt down yet. Luckily, they stayed to the confines of the temple and hadn't spread out to Haven. How long that would last was anyone's guess. They would have to deal with the situation soon enough, but they weren't ready to do so just yet. The Inquisition do not have so many soldiers that they can give guided tours of the final resting place of the Divine as the nobles had demanded. They had to fortify Haven, build up its defenses, set up training areas, gather supplies...the list goes on and on. A newly arrived noble was heading her way. This one was a woman, dressed in blue and gold silks. Her black hair tied up in an elegant bun. She moved with a grace that can only come from years of schooling.

"Another one.." Cassandra muttered bitterly as the noble woman sashayed toward her. The woman stopped before Cassandra and bowed. She spoke with a thick accent. If Cassandra had to guess, she would say the woman was Antivan. They are getting nobles from Antiva now? So far, the only nobles that had shown up were Fereldan and Orlesean. Ugh this was just going to get worse.

"Greetings to you Lady Seeker. My name is..." The woman began.

"No." The Seeker said sharply cutting of the overblown introduction she had already heard a dozen times today. Unlike the other nobles who became livid when the Seeker cut them off, this one remained calm.

"I imagine that today has been most trying Seeker. However, if you allow me to explain, I assure you I can assuage your worries." Cassandra bit back a growl, her patience wearing thin.

"You cannot bribe me and I assure you, nothing you say will change my mind. Now go, I will not change my stance.

"You cannot treat us like this Seeker!" The noble group had rallied behind the female noble she had been speaking with. Seems like they had banded together and the situation was spiraling out of control.

"We donate faithfully to the Chantry, we follow the will of the Maker, you cannot deny us this!" Another noble cried out a chorus of agreement rang out. Cassandra lost control of the situation. Damn Leliana for putting her in this position. Looks like she will have to use the guards after all. What a mess.

"You are all absolutely correct." Said the Antivan woman who was now standing in front of Cassandra holding writing board with a piece of parchment straightened out over it and a feather pen in hand. When did she get that? In fact, when had she stood in front of her. It doesn't matter, it looked like she was going to incite the crowd. Cassandra had to stop this now.

"The Inquisition understands the contributions made from each and every one of your noble houses to the Chantry." She continued. The nobles let out another cry of agreement. This was getting bad.

"Now see here!" Cassandra started but was silenced by a hand on her shoulder. She looked over to see Leliana standing here with a content smile on her face.

"Just watch Seeker." She whispered. Cassandra shot her a dubious look but did as she was told.

"Now, for each person who wishes to go to the ruins of the Temple, I only ask that you tell me first what you would like in your eulogy. We wouldn't want you to not have your last say after you pass, yes?" This sent murmurs of confusion through the crowd.

"What do you mean?" One noble spoke up.

"The breach is stable, but it is not secure. There are still many demons roaming about. Unfortunately as the Chantry has chosen to not support the Inquisition, the soldiers on hand are limited. There is currently only enough to secure Haven and its residents. If you wish to go into the ruins, you would have to do so alone. But I am sure the danger of being horribly mutilated by one of those foul demons is not enough to dissuade such faithful Andrastians as yourselves yes?" The other nobles looked at each other, their will faltering. She had them right where she wanted them.

"Of course, if you were to wait for the Inquisition to bolster ranks, guided tours will be arranged for its noble allies." Murmurs amidst the crowd once more.

"Well, I suppose if this could be arranged before Madame de fer's saloon, I would be able to wait just a little longer." Another noble remarked. The Antivan woman nodded.

"But of course. Progress is already underway and will be done well before the saloon." This seemed to pacify the nobles. They bowed to the Antivan woman who did so in kind and began to disperse. Cassandra breathed a sigh of relief. She managed to get rid of the crowd effortlessly. She shot a glance at Leliana who was watched the events unfold in silence, the smile still on her face. The Antivan woman turned to Cassandra and Leliana, a smile on her face. She bowed to both of them and to Cassandra she spoke.

"Now since that bit of unpleasantness is done, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Josephine Cherette Montilyet. Sister Leliana has asked that I join the Inquisition as its chief Ambassador and Diplomat. I have a list of my qualifications available should you need to see them.

"No need." Cassandra said waving her hand dismissively. I have seen more than enough. I welcome you to the Inquisition Josephine and thank you for clearing up that...mess. Now, I must bid you farewell. I have a sizable headache thanks to this afternoon's events." Cassandra bowed her head slightly to Josephine and shot an angry glare at Leliana upset that the spymaster had set her up, then headed off to the inner (sanctum) of Haven. The pair watched her go. Once Cassandra was out of sight, Leliana returned her glance to Josephine, a pleased smile still on her face.

"Well played Josie. As beautiful as ever!" She pulled the woman into a tight hug which Josephine returned. "It's so good to see you again."

"It is good to see you again as well Leliana and it seems that you were not exaggerating. Being ambassador for the Inquisition will be a very...unique challenge. But I do not understand Leliana. Why another test?"

"Not a test Josie, proof. Cassandra would not have accepted my word alone. She needed to see for herself why we need you."

"I'll admit, the Seeker does seem to have little in the way of patience." Leliana let out a soft giggle.

"Oh if only you knew. You being here will be a tremendous help."

"I look forward to helping. The Inquisition seems to be the only ones trying to bring peace in these dark times." Josephine let out a soft sigh. "The Chantry has completely broken down. Instead of aiding others and providing guidance, there is constant infighting. The Templars have broken away from the Chantry, rebel Mages are terrorizing the land, Orlais is embroiled in a civil war. It's like the world has gone mad."

"I know, but we will bring back peace Josie, one way or the other." Josephine noticed a dark look in Leliana's eyes. It scared her to see such a look in the eye in the once vibrant and jubilant woman she knew. The look lasted for only a moment, Leliana smiled at Josephine again, noticing the look of distress that had appeared on her face. Come on Josie. Let me show you around Haven and introduce you to our Commander. "

"And the woman who stabilized the breach?"

"She is still sleeping at the moment. It seems as if her efforts had taken a lot out of her. You will meet her once she awakens." Josephine nodded and followed Leliana into Haven.


	6. Kira and Varric

Thanks so much to everyone who is following this story and leaving comments. It inspires me to keep writing. I really appreciate it. Enjoy the next Impression! As always, comments are welcomed!

If you haven't played Dragon Age Inquisition at all, the next few Impressions might have a few spoilers in them. This one isn't too bad. Just a heads up.

"Varric?"

"Yes Herald?"

Kira slowed her steps allowing Varric to catch up to her as they trekked through the war torn Hinterlands in search of Mother Giselle. Since they first met in Haven, Varric had given Kira odd stares. At first she ignored it, after all, it was an odd situation. If she wasn't the one who happened to be the center of attention, she would probably have stared as well. Sure the dwarf had been cordial to Kira, making small talk and even sharing a few jokes with her, but when he though she wasn't looking, he would give her a hard stare as if he was trying to see through her. It was a bit distracting.

"Is there something on my face?" She asked, staring at him so he can get a good look at her face. He blinked a bit confused by the question.

"There's lots of things on your face, nothing out of the ordinary though." He responded with a grin.

"Hmm...What about my hair?"

"Your hair?"

"Yes is there something wrong with my hair?"

"No? Looks okay to me?" Varric turned to Solas who was trailing behind them with Cassandra and shot him a questioning look. Solas shrugged, just as confused as he was by this line of questioning.

"I don't stink do I?" She lifted her arms and sniffed. Varric brows furrowed, baffled by her actions.

"Gotta say, this is the first time I've ever seen a human noble sniff themselves." She dropped her arms and grinned.

"Well in my defense I've been in the Circle for most of my life. I missed a lot of etiquette lessons." Varric shook his head and laughed.

"So...what is it?" Kira asked after Varric's laughter subsided.

"What's what?" He replied smoothly.

"Why have you been staring at me?"

"THAT'S what your line of questioning was for? Why didn't you just ask?"

"Well...I thought I could figure it out."

"You are really bad at guessing." He said with a laugh.

"And you are really good at stalling. Spit it out dwarf." He grinned and shrugged.

"Well, I was just trying to determine what kind of crazy you are. I've met a lot of crazy mages lately...some more so then others." He grimaced as Anders face popped in his head. He shook it, ignoring the memory of the man he once called friend. "Just trying to figure out what kind of crazy you are so I know what to expect." She stopped walking and stared at him as if he suddenly grew a second head. Varric stopped beside her.

"You think I am crazy?" She asked, tilting her head at him questioningly.

"When I first met you, you had willingly agreed to run toward a rift that could very well kill you."

"That's not insanity Varric" Cassandra spoke up from behind them. "That is bravery."

"No...Seeker, for normal people who do not dedicate their lives to serving others, that's called insanity."

"In her defense, if she didn't attempt to seal the breach, the mark would have consumed her and she would have died." Solas said, joining the conversation. Kira nodded emphatically, at his comment.

"I'll give you that..." Varric started with a smirk. "But explain the smiling."

"The...smiling?" Solas asked confused.

"Don't you remember? Since we first met her, she had a smile plastered on her face."

Solas rubbed his chin. I think I do remember that. Cassandra nodded in agreement.

"She did seem unusually...cheerful about the situation."

"Cassandra, not you too?!" Kira asked, her voice held a slight whine to it.

"Well...you were." She responded with a shrug. "It was admittedly odd." Kira groaned as they all looked at her expectedly for an answer.

"I was just trying to make the best out of the situation you know? No point being all dour."

"That was actually the perfect time to be dour." Varric remarked. Kira shot him an angry glare.

"I was just trying to be positive, dwarf." She said through gritted teeth, stressing every word.

"Not buying it, but okay, let's move on to the laughing and outburst of glee when we were fighting those apostates back there."

"Maker! You are not letting this go are you?" She said, throwing her hands up in defeat.

"Nope..."

"Look, when you are in battle, you get excited. Sometimes...you yell things. I'm not the only one! I've heard you do it too!"

"In the middle of battle sure...we all go through that. You seem to get excited before we even start the fight. You also get this little grin on your face...like you are excited to be fighting. I've seen that look before and that person, though she is my best friend is crazy. It's a good kind of crazy, but crazy none the less."

"Can't a girl take pride in her work?" She asked, looking to the ground which suddenly became very interesting as her three companions bore holes through her with their stares. The four stood in silence. Kira finally sighed and looked up at them.

"Okay FINE. You want to know the truth? Well the truth is...I was kind of happy."

"Happy?" Cassandra repeated, her brow quirked.

"Well...remember I've been locked up in a tower for most of my life. This is the first time I've been allowed out to see the world and really use my magic. We're always taught, magic exists to serve man and never to rule over him. In the circle, we don't get to use our magic to its full potential. Out here, I can see how fast my fire could cook someone or what's the funniest pose I can freeze someone in." A grin formed on her face at the thought and she began to giggle. "Oh oh or how about how funny they look when they have a bolt of lightning running through them? It's like they are dancing." She burst out into full laughter. The others stared at her in silence, Cassandra's eyes narrowed, causing Kira to abruptly stop her laughing fit. "Oh Maker I am crazy." Kira threw her hands up defensively. "But I would never do it to an innocent person! I swear. Just bad guys! I would never abuse my magic, I swear!" Varric let out a hearty laugh.

"I think I've figured out what kind of crazy you are Herald."

"Oh? Do share." She replied flatly, lowering her hands.

"Just the right amount of crazy needed to go out here and face hordes of demons in an attempt to seal up a giant hole in the sky."

"Uh...thanks?" She said a bit confused as to whether he meant it was good or bad.

"Now, as long as you promise to not use blood magic or go blowing up any Chantry's, you and I will get along just fine."

"I would never!"

"Then you are fine with me." He said with a grin. "Right seeker?"

"Hmph..." Was Cassandra's only reply as she resumed the walk to the crossroads. Solas followed behind her, leaving Varric and Kira alone.

"You got me in trouble Varric...Now Cassandra's going to be watching me like a hawk." She said with a frown.

"Aww, don't worry about it Herald. She'll leave you alone soon enough, believe it or not, the Seeker likes you. Better than she likes me anyway." Seeing that Kira did not looked consoled at his word, Varric added. "Besides. Curly wouldn't let her do anything to you." Kira, blinked and looked at Varric.

"Curly? Who's Curly?"

"Oh, that's my nickname for Cullen."

"But Cullen doesn't really have curly hair?" It was more of a question than a statement as she tried picture Cullen's face in her mind. An unbidden grin crept onto her face. Varric chuckled, noticing it immediately.

"You didn't see him when he was in Kirkwall. I assure you, that nickname fits well."

"Wait...what do you mean Cullen wouldn't let her? Why would Cullen care? Do you...do you know something Varric?" Varric let the question hang in the air as he followed behind the others laughing with Kira calling after him.


	7. Kira and Cullen

Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me so far. I hope you enjoy this one. It's a bit longer than most. Reviews always welcomed.

"You are amazingly bad at this" Kira gave Varric one of her patented pouts. Varric shook his head and laugh. "Even with that cute pout of yours, you are still bad."

"Oh come on. I can't be THAT bad."

"No...seriously, you really are. I can't believe you never played Wicked Grace in the Circle. What the hell did you guys do for fun in there?" She shrugged her shoulders slightly.

"Oh, we studied!" Her face lit up at the memory of her time in the Circle with her friends. We would study magic, such as its origins. You know much is not really known about magic. Like where did it come from? How different was the magic of the ancient elves from the magic we have today? So much of Elven history is lost, but from what we do know, they had a wealth of knowledge when it came to magic. It is such a shame so much of it was lost." She was rambling now. Varric idly listened while he shuffled the deck to get ready for their next game, throwing in a few uh huh's and really's to keep her from finding out he was barely paying attention. She didn't seem to notice since her rambling continued.

"We also studied the applications magic can have in the World. How we can use it to help the people of Thedas. So many people are afraid of magic, but maybe if we can find a way it could help in their daily lives, they wouldn't hate it so much. They may even grow to like it. The tricky part would be getting them to accept it. It would have to be something not overtly dangerous, something that anyone, even people without magical talent can use and preferably something that can help in everyday lives. We were stuck on trying to figure something out that fit that criteria."

"Really?" Was Varric's only reply as he shuffled the deck again. She looked over to see his eyes half lidded. She was boring him. She always did that, ramble on and on about things that interested her. She sometimes forgot, not many people outside of the Circle found magic as interesting as she did. In fact, most people outside of the Circle didn't like magic at all and would rather not discuss it, let alone see it. She decided a change of topic was in order, to try and salvage the fun that was rapidly dissipating.

"There was also the sex." At the mention of the word Sex, Varric perked up.

"Come again?" Varric asked, stopping his shuffling and a grin spreading on his face at the thought of a juicy story.

Outside of the door to the room they had stowed away to play Wicked Grace stood the Commander of the Inquisition. He had been standing outside of the room since the beginning of Kira's rant debating whether he should go inside or not and wondering how Leliana and Josephine talked him into this. Once Kira started her rant, he heard the infectious joy in her voice as she spoke about her time in the Circle with her fellow mages. As she went on and on about her studies, it became more and more clear to him that the news he was chosen to deliver would devastate her. He shouldn't be the one to do this, he barely knew her. Outside of the time they first met to the second time they met in the war room, the two hadn't said a word to each other. When he tried to use this point, Josephine and Leliana ganged up on him explaining that since they were both in the Circle for so long, they had a common ground and since the news he had to deliver dealt with him in around about way, he was the best person who could understand and deal with her inevitable reaction. He wanted to argue it, but they way they explained it to him sounded so logical. Standing outside of the door for the length of Kira's rant helped him decide that not only did he want to not deliver this news to her, he definitely wasn't right person to do it. He had been played by the two woman, skilled in that infernal game they always reference. He was about to walk away and tell them to deal with this when he heard Kira mention the word sex making him freeze in his spot, waiting to hear what she said next.

Back inside the room, Varric waited for Kira to finish. The cards set aside and forgotten for now, his hands folded in front of him and that patented grin plastered on his face. Kira smirked, knowing that it would get his attention.

"Well, you can't stick a bunch of men and women into a place and expect nothing to happen." She shrugged. "It is only a natural outcome right? That magical application I was talking about earlier? Well, it wasn't always about how it could better the lives of the people in Thedas. More often than not I'm embarrassed to say, our meeting would turn from how can we help the World to how can we get people experience a mind blowing orgasm." Varric laughed and slapped his hand on the table.

"I'll be damned, that blonde bastard didn't lie about everything." This elicited a confused look from Kira. Varric just chuckled and shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Please by all means, continue."

"Well, we came up with a number of things. Like lightning for instance is a very good source of pleasure in the right hands of course." Kira paused. She swore she heard a choked gasp coming from the direction of the door. Varric apparently heard it too because he was also looking towards the door. When they no longer heard any noise, Kira shrugged and continued her story.

"You could use lightning during foreplay. The body has several stimulus points that respond very well to it. The tricky part is doing it in the middle of sex. If the mage is enjoying themselves too much they could end up frying their partner if they put a bit too much enthusiastic power behind what was supposed to be a harmless jolt. Varric grimaced.

"You just turned something arousing into something horrifying." Kira laughed.

"Sorry about that. Just telling the truth." She shifted a bit in her seat. "To be honest, I can't really talk much about the sexual applications for magic. I um...never really tried it myself. I know the theory behind it but I never um really did what the other mages did." Varric arched a brow. He smelled another story here, this one a bit more sensitive than the other one but just as juicy. He had to coax her into telling the truth.

"So..." He started, wanting to choose his words carefully. He picked up the cards and gave them a quick shuffle. "Never found Mr. Right in the Circle?" She shrugged at this.

"Well...there was this one guy. I was absolutely infatuated with him and believe me I would have loved to put everything I learned into practice with him."

"But?" Varric supplied, dealing the cards between the two of them.

"He was off limits..."

"Already seeing someone?" Kira shook her head no and picked up the cards he dealt, scrunching up her face, displeased with her hand.

"Templar?" Kira hesitated for a moment then nodded her head. Varric laughed. "You like to live dangerously eh Herald? She shrugged.

"What can I say? I love a guy in armor." Another odd sound came from the door. Kira didn't catch this one, but Varric did. Someone was eavesdropping in on their conversation. "He was a really nice guy." Kira continued. "It was as if he didn't care about the fact that I was a mage. He always treated me with respect. Most of the other weren't exactly mean, but they wouldn't talk to us, wouldn't smile. They just watched us. It was kinda creepy you know? But Oren? He would always smile, always say hello." She smiled fondly at the memory.

"You miss that place huh?"

"I wouldn't say miss. It's just a little odd being away from there. I have been there for so much of my life. It's...different being away. But I am enjoying the chance to travel and see new things. I just wish this whole Herald baggage didn't come with it." Varric laughed.

"Yeah, you got pretty screwed on that one." Kira joined in on the laughter.

"Very screwed. So tell me Ser Tethras. Am I hopeless? Will I never get to learn the intricate workings of Wicked Grace?"

"Don't you worry Herald. I'm not giving up on you yet. If I can teach a dog how to play Wicked Grace, I can teach you."

"A...a dog? Seriously?" Varric nodded with a grin.

"Hawke's mabari Barktholomew. He had a bad habit of wagging his tail when he had a good hand though." Kira shook her head in disbelief.

"A bloody mabari plays Wicked Grace better than I do." Varric patted her hand.

"There there. You'll get better. Though I think it would be better if we had another person join us." Varric slid out of his seat and padded over to the door silently. Kira watched him curiously, when she was about to open her mouth, Varric put a finger to his lips, indicating for her to keep quiet. Kira nodded slowly, still confused and watched as Varric yanked open the door to reveal the Commander of the Inquisition forces. Kira jumped out of her seat.

"Commander. I uh...we were...uh." She stammered helplessly. Varric felt bad for her seeing her flounder about and decided to save her.

"Curly! Glad you're here. Join us for a hand? I was just teaching the Herald here how to play Wicked Grace." Cullen, who looked like a cat that swallowed the canary after Varric opened the door, and caught him eavesdropping on them managed to recover from his initial embarrassment.

"Uh..no thank you Varric. I was actually looking for Lady Trevelyan."

"Oh...is something wrong Commander?" Kira asked, stepping forward. Cullen rubbed the back of his neck remembering his task, wishing he left when he had the chance. Varric stepped back away from the two and leaned against a nearby wall, silently watching the exchange. Cullen sighed and dropped his hand.

" Lady Josephine thought it would be a good idea to inform your Circle of your whereabouts. It wouldn't do to have the Templars of your Circle think you initially became an apostate, even though technically all mages are apostates now." He sighed again. "It seems that your Circle has rebelled as well."

"Wait." Kira said shaking her head. "That makes no sense. Ostwick is neutral. We voted that it would be best to not pick a side."

"According to Sister Leliana, after the Conclave was destroyed, a few members of your Circle decided they no longer wished to remain neutral and spurred them to action." He hesitated for a few moments. "It...brings me no pleasure to inform you that the Circle's decision to no longer remain neutral was not agreed by all. " Kira's eyes widened. It seemed she could sense his next words. "They warred with each other and...there were casualties on both sides."

"Do..." She paused, unsure if she really wanted to know the answer to her question. Gathering her courage, she continued. "Do you know who died?"

"Yes." He handed her a parchment she handed realized he was holding until now. With a shaky hand she took the parchment and read over the names. A tense silence filled the air until Kira let out an audible gasp, followed by a strangled no. The parchment fell from Kira's hands. She turned and took a step back to her chair, desperately wanting to sit down but teetered as soon as she took a step foward.

"Catch her Curly!" Varric barked from his spot in the corner. Cullen snapped to action, spurred by Varric's words and caught Kira just before she collapsed to the floor. Kira let out a sob and turned in Cullen's arms, burying her face in his fur pauldron. Cullen held her tightly, allowing her to cry against him, his face stoic, understanding her pain. Varric took this time to slip out of the room, leaving the two alone. After a long while, Kira stopped crying. Falteringly, she pulled away from Cullen, instantly missing the warmth from his hug. She looked up to him, her eyes puffy and red from crying. Cullen moved his hand to reach up and wipe away a stray tear that streak down her face but stopped himself, remembering who she was. She was the Herald, beautiful as she may be and as attracted to her as he was, he knew that he would have no chance with her. Instead he allowed her hands to drop to his sides.

"Are you okay Kira?" He asked in a soft tone, a worried look on his face as he warred with himself over his desire to pull her into another hug, missing the feel of her body against his. She gave him a weak smile.

"You called me Kira..." Cullen blinked, not realizing that he had gotten overly familiar with her.

"My apologies Herald. I did not..."

"No!" She said suddenly and a bit louder than she intended, cutting him off. "I am happy you did. Everyone calls me Herald. I know that's how they see me but...I am just Kira. It was nice to see that someone didn't forget it. Please...call me Kira...I mean I know you can't do it all the time but if we ever get to talk alone like this again..." Her voice trailed off.

"Of course Kira..." Cullen said with a small smile. Watching her as she successfully made it to her seat this time, plopping heavily into it. She sucked in a deep breath and exhaled. He waited silently, letting her continue when she was ready.

"Two of the names on that list...I knew them well." She frowned, swallowing back her tears that threatened to surface again. She didn't feel like crying anymore. "Senior Enchanter Lydia...She...she was like a mother to me." Cullen sat down in the seat Varric previously occupied, folded his hands on the table and listened. "When I was first brought to the Circle, my mother would visit me all the time. But after a few months, the visits became more and more sparse until they stopped altogether." She frowned. "She would still send me letters on my birthday, but that was about it. Senior Enchanter Lydia I guess saw this and she took it upon herself to put herself in my life." Kira chuckled softly. "I was such a brat when I was younger. I hated the Circle and by extension, everyone in it. Who was this lady trying to step in. She wasn't my mother. She could never BE my mother. I wanted my real mother back. No matter how much I would pull away or push her away, she kept coming back. She wouldn't take no for an answer." Kira smiled sadly. "I eventually got it through my thick skull that unlike my birth mother, she wasn't going away. After that point, I stuck to her like glue. She was such a beautiful person. I lost count of how many times I slipped up and called her mother. As far as I am concerned...she was my mother." Kira hung her head and sighed.

"Knight Templar Oren" Cullen said suddenly. Kira looked up to him, confusion evident on her face. "The second name, it was Knight Templar Oren." He offered, his voice low, she nodded slowly, trying to figure out how he knew. It came to her suddenly, he had to have looked at the list before he given to her of course and he overheard her and Varric talking, he must have heard of her infatuation with Knight Templar Oren. Kira can feel her cheeks heat up from embarrassment. She hoped in the back of her mind that he missed that whole part, evidently, he did not. "I knew him..." Cullen continued. "He was originally stationed at the Circle in Kirkwall. He wanted to help mages, protect them from themselves and from others. He remembered the vows Templars stood for when so many others had forgotten. I trained him. Most recruits I train, I keep them at an arms' length. Due to what happened to me in my past, I figured it would be best to not make friends. Oren however had other thoughts on the matter. He bugged me whenever he could." Cullen shook his head and chuckled to himself. "I thought him to be annoying at first, always insisting on talking with me, coming to me with questions or asking for advice. I thought he was a pain in the ass. Then somewhere down the line, I grew to look forward to our talks. He was probably the only person I could truly call friend while I was stationed in Kirkwall. He told me once he saw me as an older brother." Cullen sighed. "He wasn't happy in Kirkwall. He didn't like what Meredith was doing, didn't like what the other Templars were doing to some of the mages. It begin to affect him negatively. He was having trouble sleeping, getting into fights with his fellow Templars. I knew if he stayed, it would only get worse. I recommended that he move to the Circle at Ostwick. It was known to be one of the more tamer Circles and I thought it would be a good place for him. I was saddened to lose my friend, but I cared more about him feeling better than having someone to talk with. He was grateful for the transfer and promised to write me as much as he could and he kept good on his word. When the Circle in Kirkwall collapsed. I just knew I made the right decision to transfer him then...this happens." Kira reached across the table and took Cullen's gauntlet hand into her own. Cullen looked up at her. "I...overheard you and Varric talking about Oren." Kira blushed, unable to hide her embarrassment. It seems her guess was right. "I'm glad to hear that he remained true to himself and his vows. I'm told he died defending the mages who wanted to remain neutral. I knew he wouldn't want to go any other way."

"Thank you Cullen. For telling me...for comforting me...for sharing in my grief. It doesn't make it easier to take but it helps knowing I am not alone." Cullen nodded and let his eyes fall to his hand which Kira still held in her own. A comfortable silence fell over the two as they grieved together.


	8. Sera and Vivienne

"Sooooooooo this is the Inquisition eh?" Sera said aloud to no one in particular as she looked around the village of Haven. "Kinda shite..." She shrugged, looks aren't everything, She and The Friends were living proof of that. As long as they can get everyone to stop acting like right arse faces, Sera was on board. The world has gotten too crazy. Too dangerous for she and her Friends to play. She couldn't just sit by, not while she can do something about it. As long as whatever trouble they went against wasn't arrow proof, she would fight. Thought she wasn't quite sure how much help her arrows would be against that big friggin gaping hole in the sky. No point in thinking about all that though. She was here and she would make the best of it. Who knows, she might have some fun and some gold from the deal too. Right, first step would be to get to know all the little people in the Inquisition. If she was going to be here, she wanted to know what type of people the higher ups really were, when they were in their most unguarded moments, away from people they had to impress. Sera started making her way through Haven, making a mental note of where everything was for future use. Her trek led her to the front of the Chantry and she hesitated, not really wanting to venture inside. Sure she believed in the Maker and Andraste but, she wasn't exactly the overly religious type. She always had this feeling like someone was watching her whenever she was inside of a Chantry. It was downright creepy and she avoided them as much as possible. Sera turned away from the Chantry to continue her exploration of Haven when her ears twitched as she picked up what sounded like a noble admonishing a servant. Turning to the sound, she saw a woman, dressed in a white outfit that looked several times more expensive than her own drab garments, pointing a authoritive finger at an elf who had their head bowed in submission. The sight made Sera's blood boil. It pissed her off, the way these nobles were. Treating others like trash just because they had a bit more money in their coffers. Sera stomped over to the two and inserted herself between the noble and the servant. The woman raised a sculpted eyebrow at Sera and glanced her over.

"Is there something you need dear?" The woman spoke, with an accent that Sera couldn't quite place. She wasn't from Fereldan or Orlais that's for sure.

"Yeah, I need you to stop acting like a bitch and treating people like they are below you just because they don't have as much gold as you do." The woman folded her hand in front of her chest and gave Sera a smile that seemed to piss her off more than put her at ease.

"Oh dear, it seems that we have a misunderstanding and you've come in defense of your fellow servant. How adorable. That is very admirable, but there is something you must understand darling. I AM above you and it has nothing to do with the amount of gold I have. It is because of who I am and the power I hold. And since it seems you do not know who I am, I will endeavor to enlighten you. I am Madame Vivienne or Madame de Fer and you will address me as such if you must address me at all. Do we have an understanding dear?"

"I'm not a friggin servant!" Sera huffed.

"Really? Hmm you may want to have a word with your tailor my dear because your wardrobe point quite to the contrary."

"Um..." Interrupted a small voice behind Sera. Sera spun around to look at the timid elf that had been silent up to this point behind her. "Madame Vivienne wasn't..."

"Don't worry right?" Sera said cutting her off. "I know how to take care of these types." Vivienne sighed lightly and shook her head.

"If only you would use those ears of yours more than your mouth, I wager you would be considerably smarter my dear."

"I'm plenty smart already and I'm giving you one more chance to apologize right or you'll be sorry." Vivienne chuckled.

"As amusing as this was dear, it is getting terribly boring and I have other things to do. Ilia dear." The timid elf stepped from behind Sera and stood before Vivienne.

"Yes Madame Vivienne?" She said, staring down to her feet. Vivienne, hooked a finger under her chin and lifted her head so she could stare in her eyes.

"Now my dear, I think now is a perfect time to test out what we spoke about hmm?"

"N...now?" The elf desperately wanted to lower her head but Vivienne did not allow her to. Sera once again parted the two, putting herself between Vivienne and Ilia once again.

"Right, that's it. I warned you to stop picking on her." Sera said with a growl.

"S...stop..." Ilia said meekly. Sera turned to face Ilia. "Don't worry right? I'll handle this. She won't bother you anymore."

"She...she wasn't bothering me..." Ilia said in a barely audible tone.

"Remember what we spoke about darling. Authority." Ilia nodded and looked up to Sera.

"S-She wasn't bothering me." She said again, her voice a little stronger than before.

"But I saw her yelling at you. I heard her. You don't have to lie for her."

"She was helping me...some of the guys make...nasty comments and she was teaching me how to stand up for myself." Sera's mouth dropped open and she stared at Ilia for several seconds in silence. None of this made sense. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally managed to sputter. "What?"

"What an intelligent comeback my dear. You are indeed showing that you are...what was it you said? 'Plenty Smart'?"

"Shut it right? I don't need to hear from you now." She looked back to Ilia. "Seriously? She was helping you? Not yelling at you or being the obvious bitch that she is?"

Ilia shook her head. "Madame Vivienne said she wanted to make sure I wouldn't be taken advantage of" Sera groaned. She leaped before looking and landed in shite. Vivienne's smug smirk did nothing to help the matter.

"Oh don't feel bad dear." Vivienne said, delight evident in her voice. "I'm sure this is not the first time you have managed to make a fool of yourself. If you are not use to it by now, keep on the path you are and you will become familiar with it soon enough." This woman made Sera wanted to scream in frustration.

"Right, I was wrong about this, but I'm pretty sure that I am not wrong in the fact that you are an utter bitch. Anyway...sorry." She muttered the last part.

"I'm sorry, I do not believe I heard you. You said the last part considerably lower than the rest of your little tirade."

"AAAARGH. I SAID I'M SORRY ALRIGHT?" Sera was fuming.

"Hmm...a mediocre apology, but I suppose it is the best you can muster. I accept. Now I really must leave. I spent far more time here than originally intended. Ilia dear, don't forget my words."

"Wait...Vivvy." The smile from Vivienne's face faltered at the butchering of her name, she glared at Sera. "Do not call me that."

"Oh my apologies Madame lady whatever. One more thing before you go." Sera said, a grin plastered on her face. Vivienne sighed.

"And what might that be?" Sera promptly turned around pulled up her tunic and dropped her trousers. She wiggled her bare bottom at Vivienne, laughing loudly. Vivienne snorted in disgust and walked away, mumbling about having the displeasure of having to deal with such in imbecile.


	9. Sera and Solas

A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who has read and followed this series so far! Reviews are always welcomed!

Sera sat down at a table in the small tavern at Haven with her drink in hand. This was the only place that felt comfortable to her. Normal people around, no poncey nobles. Why did the Inquisition have so many bloodly nobles? She thought to herself. Like that friggin ice bitch Vivienne. Sera made a face as she recalled the memory of her first encounter with Vivienne. A MAJOR ice bitch, she thought with a snort. Even the Inquisitor was a bloody noble. She let out another snort at the thought of Kira Trevelyan. What a major let down that was. I'm mean she's suppose to be the all touched lady Herald right? But instead she turned out to be some normal boring person. I mean she barely glowed! Sure her hand glowed and everything but from the stories she heard, she expected all of her to glow. What a letdown. Though, there was still a chance her lady bits glowed. Sera made a mental note to peek in at the lady Herald if she ever had her trousers down. She took a drink from her mug and sat back in her chair. I mean I guess it's not all bad right? At least all the nobles about didn't seem so bad so far. Not like the normal gits she is use to dealing with.

"Ah Sera...right?" Sera heard from behind her. The voice was strong, proud and held an air of superiority. Sera groaned loudly and rolled her eyes. She has heard that voice before. She sure it didn't sound exactly the same but it held all the same qualities in it. She HATED those qualities. She hated that voice. "Andaran atish'an..." The voice continued behind her, before it could go any further, Sera decided to cut it off.

"Piss off..." The voice paused for a moment, obviously started by her abrupt and rude interruption.

"Excuse me?" It finally managed to say, that same air of superiority still thick in his voice.

"I said piss off you high and mighty bare foot arse...I don't feel like hearing that elfy crap yeah? If you want to speak to me, Use normal words or piss off." She took a drink another drink as the voice stayed behind her in silence. The owner of the voice moved from behind her and stepped into her view. She was right, it was another elf. Just from the way he looked, she could tell he was one of those stuck up ones she actively tried to avoid. Sure he didn't have that stuff all over his face like those other ones, but he had that same look in his eye, that same I'm better than you glare. She friggin hated that glare.

"I meant only to greet you in our native tongue Sera. Why has this offended you so?" Solas asked, folding his hand behind him and staring down at the blond haired elf that sat in front of him, muttering rather colorful words under her breath.

"Not my native tongue so don't bother using that shite with me. I use normal words like this right?" She took another drink from her mug. Solas tiled his head considering her for a few moments before continuing.

"You are Elven, Sera. Even if you are not one of the Dalish, it is still your native tongue." Sera sighed loudly. He wasn't going to go away.

"Look, the only people I have are the Friends right? The only words I use are normal ones. If you want to be elfy go find someone else. Piss off, there's gotta be someone else you can go speak all Elfy with innit? Why are you bothering me with it?"

"I meant only to greet my fellow Elf. I had no idea this would be such an affront to you. May I ask...why do you seem to have such a problem with your people?"

"UGH" She exclaimed loudly, garnering a few glances from the other patrons of the tavern. "I don't have a problem with elves right? I have a problem with the ones that think they are better than everyone. The Elfy ones that look down on everyone else because of a past that happened so long ago no one cares 'bout it anymore but them." Solas stared at Sera in silence. His gaze made her feel uncomfortable. She squirmed in her seat. She didn't like his look, it was like he was judging her with his eyes. Who was he to judge her? This is exactly why she hated these types. She went to take another drink from her mug but found it empty.

"Piss" She muttered out loud and slammed the mug on the table.

"So you feel no kinship to elves at all? No wish to know your past?"

"Pfft, not my past."

"It is the past of all elves whether you want to believe it or not. Our people."

"Right, just because I'm an elf doesn't mean I have to care about everything that has to do with elves. My people are the Friends. That's all I care about and this conversation is boring and so is your face and your bugging me so shut it already and piss off."

"Sera...did something happen to you? With other elves I mean? Something must have created this disposition you have towards elves."

"Uuuuuuuuuuuugh" She exclaimed loudly before letting her head hit the table. "Alright fine! You wanna talk about elves yeah? Then we'll talk about elves." Solas stared at her and nodded slightly.

"Okay then...perhaps we can start with a background on elves. Perhaps if you understood how we were, you would appreciate it a bit more."

"Yeah..right, piss on all that. Why don't you lot wear shoes?"

"Why...what?" Solas stared at her dumbfounded, he hadn't expected the conversation to take this turn, though considering how the conversation with Sera has gone thus far, perhaps he should have.

"Why don't you lot wear shoes? You walk around barefoot right? What if you step in shite or something? I think if you lot wore shoes, you'd stop bitchin' so much. Common sense innit?"

"So you don't intend on taking this conversation seriously I see."

"No no, that is a serious question. OH I got another one!" She said excitedly suddenly getting into the conversation.

"I heard the Dalish run around naked in the forest and have orgies or whatever every new moon. My question is, do they let the Halla join? I mean they are all there watching it right? Dalish love animals and all that. Treat Halla's like family right? Makes sense if they join in right?" She asked with a grin. Solas sighed and turned his back to Sera.

"When you are ready to have a real conversation, you know where to find me."

"But this is a real conversation! You are going to just leave me with all these unanswered questions? I got more you know." Solas walked away, not saying another word, Sera burst out laughing as she watched him go. 'At least this Inquisition will be worth a laugh' She thought to herself as she signaled Flissa for another drink.


	10. Leliana and Blackwall

A/N: This one isn't an outright spoiler, but it heavily alludes to one. If you haven't played the game yet, skip this one. If you are okay with spoilers then read on!

"Warden-Constable Blackwall?" Blackwall heard the feminine voice over the ringing of hammers slamming against metal on an anvil. He turned from watching the smiths craft weapons for the Inquisition soldiers to see a hooded woman with reddish hair peeking from under her hood walking to him. She was clad in light chainmail and leather. He guess she was a scout of some kind, but seemed to be of a higher rank than the ones he had seen around previously. She wore a smile on her face but Blackwall suddenly felt nervous around her. Her eye burned with intensity, intelligence. He tucked one arm behind his back, folding the other across his stomach and bowed to the woman.

"I am and you are?"

"My! Such formalities is a rare sight these days, but welcomed. I am Sister Leliana. I handle...She paused and smiled at him again. Intelligence for the Inquisition."

'Shit.' Blackwall thought. His mind panicked, his first thought was to excuse himself. Make up a reason as to why he had to leave and get away as fast and far from Haven as he could. He however remained rooted in his spot. He has done this several times before, this would be no different. He could do this. No, he had to do this. It was the only chance he can atone for the past.

"Such a shame. A lady always deserves to be treated with respect. But I doubt you came here to hear the idle flattery. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I know you already spoke with the Herald regarding the Wardens, but I had to ask you personally. Do you have any idea what happened to the Wardens?"

"No. I'm afraid not. When I am out recruiting, I could go months without hearing word from anyone within the order."

"I see." Leliana sighed softly then gave Blackwall a small smile.

"Well I must thank you for joining us Blackwall. I know Wardens usually do not involve themselves in political matters. We appreciate your help."

Blackwall folded his arms in front of his chest and nodded. "As I told the Herald, making it seem like the Wardens are gone is almost as bad as someone thinking we are responsible for the death of the Divine."

"Yes, but it still is surprising. When the Qunari attacked Kirkwall, my reports show that Wardens were present and despite there being people who were dying all around them, they did not stop to help, citing that they were on an important mission." Blackwall bristled at these words. Leliana watched his reaction closely.

"My brothers and sisters in the Order can be a bit dedicated to the mission at hand especially when it is important. If they could have helped I am sure they would have." Blackwall replied, his friendly demeanor rapidly fading as the conversation continued.

"Yet, the World is at stake and they are not here."

"I am here, I stand for them. That should be good enough." He said a bit more harshly than he intended.

"It is. The Inquisition does appreciate your help, I assure you. My apologies for making it seem as if I were badmouthing the Wardens. That was not my intent. I am actually quite fond of them." Blackwall watched her in silence for a few moments before relaxing slightly.

"That's...good to hear. Too many people seem to like making the Grey Wardens the enemy, even after everything they sacrifice to keep them safe. When there is a Blight, everyone loves us. When there isn't one, we are a dirty little secret best left ignored." Leliana frowned and stared up at the Breach in the sky. She sighed lightly and returned her gaze to Blackwall.

"Yes. It has only been ten years since the last Blight and it seems many people have forgotten those that sacrificed their lives for them. I imagine if it wasn't for them being royalty, King Alistair and Queen Katya would have been forgotten as well." Blackwall nodded at her words but remained silent.

"I was there you know." She continued. "During the fifth Blight. I traveled with Alistair and Katya." The corner of her mouth twitched upward into another small smile as she recalled their time together. "To this day I consider Katya and Alistair to be dear friends." She looked at Blackwall who's face showed a hint of panic but it disappeared as quickly as it came. Why would that make him nervous?

"Did you know Alistair and Katya?" She inquired, the small smile still on her face, her eyes studying him intently for any change in his mannerisms.

"No." He said plainly, not offering any further explanation.

"I see. I guess that is understandable. They were still quite new to the Order when I met them. I met a few other Grey Wardens as well on our adventures, those who have been with the Order much longer. I'm sure you know Riordan?"

"Riordan...yes. I know him. Good man." Leliana nodded, her smile never faltering. Shouldn't his response have been in the past tense? She knew Riordan died, but it seems that Blackwall, a member of the Grey Warden Order did not. That was strange in itself, but not enough to warrant suspicion. She decided to continue.

"And of course you knew Zevran, Warden-Commander of Ferelden at the time?" Leliana of course knew the Warden-Commander of Fereldan was Duncan but did HE know? Blackwall nodded. "Ah yes. The Warden-Commander. I knew him of course. It was a shame what happened at Ostagar. How we were betrayed. Zevran was a brave and honorable man." Leliana had to swallow the unladylike snort that nearly escaped her. It was clear this man did not know Zevran. From the time she travelled with him, she wasn't sure honorable was a term you can associate with him. She nodded and looked up to the Breach once more, not immediately responding to Blackwall. How is it that a Warden did not even know who the current Warden-Commander was at the time. This man, whoever he was, he was definitely not a Grey Warden.

"Where were you during the events at Ostagar? I thought all Wardens in Fereldan were suppose to be a part of that battle." Leliana asked after a while. Her smile had faded but she kept her voice friendly and even, ensuring she didn't make him think she was accusing him of anything.

"I was in Fereldan, recruiting alone...as I always did. I was to join the battle later but never got the chance." He chuckled, perhaps a bit nervously. "That doesn't mean I missed all the action however. I killed my fair share of Darkspawn." Leliana nodded and looked at him, a smile etched on her face once more, now allowing her expression to betray her thoughts.

"I must thank you again Blackwall. For your assistance and for your time in answering my questions. I appreciate it." He chuckled again, this time with less reservation.

"You're welcome, but I fear I wasn't much help. I didn't tell you anything relevant."

"On the contrary. told me more than you know." Blackwall watched in silence as Leliana walked away from him. The last six word she spoke replaying over and over in his mind. She knows. She definitely knows. But how? He had been careful hadn't he? He replayed the conversation over in his mind. What did he say to give himself away? It doesn't matter anyway. He should leave, get as far away from Haven as possible. He turned on his heels, heading back to his lodgings to gather his belongings. In his peripheral he caught sight of the breach and halted his steps. The sight reminded him of why he volunteered to join the Inquisition in the first place. Why he could no longer run. Come what may, he would stay. He would redeem himself. He gave a heavy sigh and decided to return to his lodgings to rest. He suddenly felt very tired. Leliana briskly walked towards the Chantry which they were using as their main base of operations, she signaled for a scout to follow her and he did so, falling into step with her pace easily.

"I need you to get me all the information you can on the Warden-Constable Blackwall. Tell no one of your mission." The scout nodded and as quickly as he joined Leliana, he departed to fulfill her task.


	11. Varric and Harding

A/N: I just wanted to thank everyone who is following this series so far. It means a lot to see so many people enjoying it. I will keep going for as long as I can think stuff up :-) Also a big thanks to everyone who leave comments. I read every single one! Thanks for taking the time to write back.

"I finally got it." The slightly high-pitched feminine voice that wafted into Varric's ears proudly stated. Varric's eyes fluttered open to see scout Harding staring at him with a please smile on her face, her hands hidden behind her back. Varric lowered the bottle which was pressed to his lips and with a satisfying gulp, swallowed the wine he had pooled in his mouth. He offered it to Harding who shook her head vigorously from side to side. With a shrug, Varric sat the bottle down on the table in front of him.

"Finally got what freckles?

"Freckles? Seriously?" Harding's face morphed from the bright smile she was wearing into a disapproving scowl which looked more adorable on her then threatening."

"I call em' like I see em. Honestly I was originally going to call you Bubbles due to that infectious cheery personality of yours but ah, after finding out about that secret little merciless personality of yours, it didn't seem to fit anymore." Harding's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Merciless? You think? I never really considered myself as merciless." Varric chuckled.

"Oh your merciless when you want to be, which I think is a requirement when working for our lady Nightingale." Harding let out a nervous chuckle and her eyes immediately started scanning around the tavern, afraid that Sister Leliana would suddenly materialize out of thin air while they were laughing at her expense. Varric could see panic in Harding's face and did his absolute best to suppress the laugh threatening to burst out of him. Nightingale certainly had an interesting effect on her subordinates. Feeling a tinge of pity for his fellow dwarf, Varric decided to steer the conversation back to its original point.

"Anyway, freckles fits you. Besides, they are one of your most endearing qualities. Trust me." Varric said with a smile adding a wink to emphasis his point. Harding let out another giggle. This one much more relaxed than the last.

"Well in that case, I guess I don't mind the nickname freckles so much."

"So, care to tell me what you finally got?" Varric asked before lifting the wine bottle to his lips for another drink.

"Oh! I almost forgot why I came here. I finally got the joke." Varric swallowed his wine and sat the bottle back down onto the table.

"Joke?"

"Yup. You know, the one you made when we first met? In the Hinterlands?" Varric thought to himself for a few moments, trying to recall what he said to her the first time they met. It seemed like a lifetime ago when that happened. So many things have occured since then.

"Hmmm..." Was all Varric could reply, as he racked his brain trying to recall that specific moment. Harding patiently waited in silence for him to recall the joke. Varric eyes suddenly widened and he barked out a laugh, finally remembering the joke she was referring to. Definitely not one of his best which is why if he recalled correctly he didn't even bother finishing it.

"The Harding in Hightown one? HAH I'm surprised you even remembered it. Not exactly one of my best."

"Oh it was terrible. But since I didn't know what you were talking about before, it bugged me so I went ahead and figured it out." She pulled her left hand from behind her back revealing a copy of 'Hard in Hightown.' Varric laughed again.

"You could've just asked me you know. You didn't have to go hunting for the book." She grinned.

"Where's the fun in that?" Varric shook his head, still laughing.

"So? What did you think of it?"

"Not bad, but I found this one much more interesting." She pulled her other hand from behind her back and revealed to him another one of his well known works: 'Tale of the Champion.'

"Ah, so you like non-fiction works better huh?"

"Is it really non-fiction though? I can hardly believe that one woman did all the stuff you said she did in this book. It's just so...amazing!" Varric smiled. It always brought a little pride to his heart whenever someone spoke fondly of Hawke.

"Well, she is an amazing woman and yes, even though it is all very hard to believe, I can assure you, it is all true. Maybe a bit of embellishment here and there, you know, to keep the audience captivated but mostly, all true." Varric flashed her his patented grin before continuing. "Though some of the stuff that is in that book shouldn't really surprise you that much considering all the crazy shit we are seeing now." Harding gave off a small laugh and nodded.

"You can sure say that again. Still, I think she is amazing." Hey, do you think I can ask you a question that's been bugging me? About Hawke I mean?"

"Sure." Varric replied before taking another drink.

"In all those years, Hawke never um fell in love with anyone? The book never says so. It says that the broody elf and the possessed mage all had a thing for her, but it never says she went with either of them."

Varric swirled the wine around in his mouth before swallowing with a loud gulp. He has gotten this question more often than he cared to admit. A lot of his readers wanted to believe that after all the hardship Hawke went through, she had a happy ending with a special someone. Some of them just wanted to know if she was with someone and if not, whether they had a shot with her. Men and women alike fell in love with Hawke and why shouldn't they? It was hard not to love her. He certainly couldn't resist her. He left that little tidbit out of his book however. Despite loving to talk, he rarely gave off personal information about himself. He had a feeling questions about Hawke being single would come up once the book was released and one night, while in bed together, he floated the idea of pairing her together with Fenris or for a more tragic love story, Anders, purely to stave off the more inquisitive of his readers. When she threatened to test the effectiveness of his dwarven magical resistance, he decided it was probably best to never bring the topic up again.

"Nope." He said simply after a few moments of silence.

"But...why? It seems so sad for her to be alone for so many years. Having no one to lean on when things got tough?" Varric nodded in agreement. It would have been sad certainly if it were true. He lost count of how many times Hawke told him she didn't know what she would do without him there to support her. He suddenly felt a pang in his chest and wished she was here with him. She gave him as much strength as he gave her. Varric sighed out loud. He missed her, but to be honest, it was better that she wasn't here. She's been through enough shit and he didn't want to drag her though any more. There was no guarantee he would be getting out of this one alive after all. In his musing, Varric forgot for a moment that Harding was there, staring at him intently.

"I dunno freckles." He said finally out loud, pushing his thoughts to the side and going over the statement he's said hundreds of times before. "She just wasn't interested in any of those guys. Not man enough for her I guess." He smirked at the last comment, feeling smug at the fact that out of all the men that wanted Hawke in Kirkwall, she picked him, only had eyes for him.

"What about you? You two never got together?" Varric smiled and shook his head.

"Sadly, Bianca is the only one for me, and she is very jealous. Last time I even looked at another woman, she wouldn't shoot straight for a week. No, Hawke and I were just...friends. What about you freckles? No special man in your life to keep you warm in these dire times?"

"Ah no...nothing like that." Harding said, feeling her face grow heated. She lifted the Tale of the Champion book up in front of her face to hide her blush. Varric smiled and took another drink.

"So, you've never been out of Hinterlands?"

"Nope. I've been there all my life. I mean it sucks that it took the end of the World to get me out of it, but I'm kinda happy I get to see the World now. Is that bad? It kinda sounds bad. Forget I said that." Varric laughed.

"Nothing to be ashamed about freckles. You and the Herald actually have that in common. Who wouldn't want to get out and see the World? Personally, I was happy in Kirkwall, but I gotta admit, I've gotten to see interesting things. I could do without the demons...and the hills." He frowned. "I want to shoot whoever thought putting anything on vertical land going vertical was a good idea." At this Harding laughed.

"That's a city boy for you."

"And proud of it." Varric said with a grumble, though his lips were turned up into a small smile.

"Are you going to write about this too. The Inquisition I mean?"

"Yup. Though I don't know how many people will believe it. Hell, I barely believe some of it and I have a feeling it's only going to get crazier."

"Um...will you write about me too?" Varric grinned.

"Of course! I couldn't leave you out freckles. " Harding smiled.

"One more thing. Do you think you can autograph these books? F-For my sister! She's a huge fan of yours."

"Sure, if you leave them with me, I'll do it as soon as I get back to my writing desk. What's your sister's name?"

"It's Lace...Make it out to Lace." Harding said, feeling her face heat up again, the blush threatening to come back in full force. She put the both books on the table and pushed it towards him then turned around quickly to hide her face. "Thanks, Varric!"

"Leaving so soon?" Varric asked with a smirk. "Sure you don't want just one drink?"

"Oh no, I couldn't. It's about time I leave to scout out the Storm Coast. I'll pick up the books from you later. Bye!" With that, Harding dashed out of the tavern, leaving Varric alone. Varric watched her go, the smile still on his lips as put the bottle to it to take another drink.


	12. Vivienne and Cullen

"Yoo Hoo! Commander!"

Cullen instantly tensed. That beckoning was definitely from a noble and there was very little he hated more than dealing with nobles. He probably hated demons just a little more, but they had the redeeming quality of being killable. You can't really kill a noble. Well you could if you were a murderer which he was not. No, with a noble you just had to put up with them as insufferable as they were. Of course all of them weren't bad, there were a few he could stomach, even a few he liked but the majority he despised. As a Templar, he had the misfortune of dealing with them on occasion. When a noble's child was taken to a Circle, their status and wealth oft gave their children rights that others would not have. Cullen had to watch silence as noble children were allowed to leave the Tower or have extended visits, private rooms, special privileges. This wasn't the case for all noble children however. Some were written off by their families as a dirty little secret never to be seen or heard from again. He hated the families of those noble children even more than the entitled ones. To discard your own flesh and blood like trash due to a fate they had no choice in, it disgusted him. As for the nobles that didn't have mage relatives? They seemed to go out of their way to ensure that the Templar's know they were beneath them and that they were there to not only serve the Chantry, but the benefactors of the Chantry as well.

The way Cullen saw it, he had two options. He could pretend not to hear the noble that called out to him and risk getting an earful from Josephine later or just face the noble and hope that he can appease them and get rid of them as quickly as possible. With a sigh, Cullen decided on the latter. He stopped walking and turned around. Waving to him from a recess in the Chantry was as he suspected a noble. What he wasn't expecting was a mage noble, one that had just recently joined the Herald not very long ago. This just keeps getting better and better he thought sourly. Cullen decided to approach her as it didn't seem like she planned on moving from her spot.

"Is there something you need my lady?" Cullen asked doing his best to not let his irritation convey in his voice.

"Such manners from a Templar to a mage. That is indeed a rare commodity in these trouble times."

"I am no longer a Templar." Cullen replied tersely. "Is there something you need my lady? I am quite busy."

"Of course my dear, I shan't hold you up any longer than necessary. I merely wished to bring to your attention the number of Templars that you have assigned to watch over the mages here in Haven."

And there it is Cullen thought to himself. Another mage complaining that they are being treated unfairly and under too strict a guard. The mages wanted to self govern and as much as he could sympathize with their plight, he felt that it would be sheer madness to let them do so. The breach made the veil vulnerable. Mages were especially susceptible to this. Even the strongest mage was in danger of falling prey to demons and he would be damned if he became lax at a crucial time like this because the mages felt uncomfortable. He wasn't without a heart however, he asked the Templars under him to treat the mages with respect, to not interfere with them and their day to day and to just keep an eye on them for corruption. They were there to protect the mages and others from the threat of demons not to create makeshift Circle in Haven. The mage's were their allies, not their charges.

"There simply are not enough Templars guarding the mages my dear." She continued. "With the veil being this thin, it is imperative that mages are governed even more strictly than before. If you do not have enough Templars then perhaps you can train some of the other soldiers on how to identify and deal with possession." Cullen sighed and prepared to give her the same statement he had given all mages who came to him to complain.

"I understand that you are unhappy with the current amount of Templars stationed near the mage's quarters but try..." He paused, her words finding purchase in his mind. His brow furrowed in confusion and all he could utter was a very confused. "What?" Vivienne smiled, pleased that she managed to get him so flustered.

"My, not very articulate are you dear?" He frowned.

"I'm just surprised. That is normally not the stance I get from your fellow mages."

"Oh I gathered that." Vivienne replied with a smile. "Still it is the correct stance. I am and always will be true to the Circle. Mages ARE a danger to themselves and others. I realize this even if they refused to."

"It is comforting albeit a bit strange to hear a mage say that."

"I'm sure during your time as a Templar you have encountered many who villainize Templars who simply wish to do their job and make themselves out to be innocent little lambs. I tend to have a more realistic view of the world. That isn't to say Templars are without fault mind you." Cullen nodded solemnly, knowing exactly what she meant.

"But you do not hate them as some others do." He stated, she nodded, confirming his statement. "They are a tool that serve a purpose. As long as they serve that purpose, I have no problem with them." He winced at her use of the word tool. Yes it was true that Templars were created for a purpose but it seemed so inhuman to just call them a tool. They were people as well with families, feelings. They put their lives on the line to protect people and the World they care so deeply about. To dismiss them as nothing more than just a tool bothered him. She was still after all a noble who saw the Templars as nothing more than something to be used at her convenience.

"I understand your perspective my lady, however, the mages here are our allies. They joined us of their own free will. They could have very well ran off and joined the rebel mages or hid. We are keeping an eye on them but at a respectful distance."

"I can see that you have Templars watching out for them, however I think it might be beneficial to everyone here to have some of the Soldiers trained on how to deal with abominations."

"It is not necessary. The Templars we have on hand are more than enough to deal with the mages here. They are all very well trained and some have encountered abominations before."

"And you will not change your stance on this Commander?"

"I will not. I am making sure that we are vigilant in looking for signs of corruption, but we do not need to have half of the army dedicated solely to keeping an eye on the mages here." His eyes darkened as the memory of his time in Lake Calenhad's Circle resurfaced.

"I have seen first hand what could happen when an abominations are allowed to run rampant." His voice low, the words felt heavy as they came out of his mouth, the memory still painful after all this time. "I would die before I allow the same to happen here. Do not doubt that Lady Vivienne." Vivienne smiled.

"From your expression I can see that your words carry weight my dear. I shall follow your lead."

Cullen gave her a nod. "Then if that is all, I must excuse myself."

"Of course, but before you go Commander, one more thing...Every mage is being watched to some degree correct?"

"Yes. To be safe, we are keeping an eye on everyone, but we try to do so in a non-invasive manner."

"This includes me as well correct?" Cullen hesitated for a brief moment before confirming.

"Good, that is as it should be and the Herald?" Again he hesitated.

"Even though she is our Herald, she is still a mage. I am personally keeping an eye on her." Vivienne laughed.

"Oh I bet you are."

Cullen frowned "Wait, I didn't mean that in..."

"Of course you didn't dear." Vivienne said cutting him off. "Thank you so much for talking with me commander but I have much to do. She turned her back on him, effectively ending the conversation. Cullen turned and walked away, muttering to himself that this was exactly why he hated nobles.


	13. Krem and Sera

Cremisius Aclassi stood by the riverbank, arms folded across his chest. His head turned upwards towards the sky, eyes glued to the breach. It seemed calm now. Energy no longer lashed out of control and demons no longer poured out of it. Even so, the sight of it made him feel as wary as it did the first time he saw it. He closed his eyes allowing the memory to flood his mind.

He and his fellow Chargers had been hired by a group of Lordlings whose lands had been occupied by Tevinters. The Chargers had found the group easily enough and set up an ambush for them. Not expecting any resistance, the Tevinters easily stumbled into their trap and the battle ensued. It was an easy enough battle, the trap cut their numbers down and since they were still in shock due to the sudden attack, they were able to pick off a handful of their fighters before they started putting up any resistance. They were in the process of routing them when a giant appeared. How they got their bloody hands on a giant, he'd never know. As he ripped his blade from the stomach of the enemy he was fighting, he looked up just in time to see The Iron Bull looking towards the giant as he pulled his massive two-handed sword off of his back. That damned show-off. He smiled recalling the feeling of pride that swelled in his chest as he cried out for Bull to take the giant down. His fellow Chargers echoed his cry and Bull did not disappoint. With a roar, Bull leaped into the air and straight into the giant. The Chargers cheered as their boss stood victorious over his kill. The battle had been soundly won and it was precisely at that moment that everything went wrong.

The Sky exploded with such resonating force he felt it in his very core. In its wake, it left a sickly green hole that reminded Krem of a festering wound. He and the others could only watch in shock as demons began to spill out of the wound to the World below. Krem clenched his teeth, remembering that feeling of trepidation and how it morphed into anger. If the World was going to burn, he'd be damned if he would go out with a whimper.

"Do you gotta take a shite or something?"

The voice that suddenly cut into his thoughts was incredibly close. Startled, Krem's eyes flew open as he instinctively took a step back and his hands flew to the hilt of his sword. His eyes now focused on the face of the giggling elf who had been breaching his personal space just a moment ago. He remembered meeting her briefly. What was the name? Sasha? Cyna? No wait, it was Sera. Yes, he was sure it was Sera and he also recalled being subsequently warned within minutes of meeting her by another in the Inquisition that she had a penchant for mischief. His body relaxed and he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"That was priceless yeah? You should've seen your face." She managed to say through her fit of giggles.

"It would have been funnier if you screamed or something, but you know begging and choosing something something." She continued, her giggling fit dying down slowly. Krem folded his arms across his chest once again.

"It's beggar's can't be choosers and if I got scared from something like that I'm in the wrong line of work. You are lucky I didn't think you were a demon or something and attacked you."

"Right 'cause demons are normally all sneaky like."

"I did say 'Or Something' which covers a whole host of other things..." He paused, realizing that debating with Sera would most likely be a draining and pointless venture. "Right, nevermind. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Not anymore. I figured it out already."

"Figured what out already?" He asked, his left brow raising slightly in curiosity.

"Why you were weird to me." She responded simply, not bothering to offer any further explanation. After a stretch of silence, Krem decided to press her.

"I'm weird? In what way exactly."

"You're Tevinter right?" She asked, completely ignoring his question.

"You didn't answer my question, but yes, I am."

"Are you sure? I mean you say you are a Tevinter right? But you don't seem like rawr I'm gonna eat your babies type or whatever"

"I don't think I've ever heard a Tevinter say that...well maybe a Magister. You still haven't answered my question. How am I weird?"

"Well don't think it's a bad thing. You aren't weird weird. I mean, everyone's a bit weird yeah? I'm weird." Krem shot her a look that seemed to say _no shit_ but she didn't notice it and continued speaking. "But when I firsts met you, you were weird weird and it bugged the shite out of me so I had to find out why you were so weird weird to me but I got it and it is only sorta weird I guess not too weird weird. Got it?"

"Completely, clear as mud." He deadpanned. She rolled her eyes.

"Mud isn't clear you daft tit." Krem groaned seeing that she obviously missed his sarcasm and buried his face in his palm before letting his hands drop to his sides in defeat. This woman was exasperating.

"Okay, right. Let's start over. How am I weird?"

"Well, you're not a he really right? You're a she but dressed up like a he. I mean it doesn't really matter right? You can do whatever you want but I don't really get it. Ladies have all the fun bits. You didn't get rid of all your fun bits did you?" She asked, a brief flash of panic was shown on her face. She quelled it as quickly as it had come, replacing it with a odd grin. Krem stared at her in silence for a few moments.

"This is not exactly a topic I speak about with relative strangers..." He finally said. Her grin turned a bit lecherous.

"You can either tell me or I can just stalk you till you drop your knickers. I can be all sneaky like if I want you know." Krem thought about how Sera had managed to get extremely close to him while he had been thinking about when the breach first appeared and he didn't even hear her approach. Contrary to her loud personality, she could be silent when she wanted and he had no doubt she would stalk him until she got the answers she wanted.

"I still have all my original...bits..." He said, acquiescence to her request. Sera eyes roamed over his body, her eyes stopping at his chest piece for a few moments before moving down to his crouch. She started giggling to herself.

"What are you laughing about?" He asked, folding his hands across his chest again, trying to cover chest even though he knew she couldn't see anything past his breastplate, he suddenly felt very vulnerable.

"Nothing, just...things." She giggled again. Before he could say anything else, the sound of snow crunching under boot could be heard. He spun around to see Commander Cullen striding towards the Chargers tents.

"Shit" He muttered and sprinted away from Sera to intercept Cullen. As of late, Some of the women in Haven had taken an interest to Bull. Once they found out that the big bad rough Qunari exterior and found out what a nice guy he was, infatuation would set in. It probably didn't help that Bull was a smooth talker and walked around without a shirt. At present, he had been entertaining one of his latest infatuations. It probably wouldn't be in the Charger's best interest if the Commander of the Inquisition walked in on that. Krem had the misfortune of walking in on Bull one time. Couldn't get that image out of his head for a month.

"Commander! Sir, is there anything I can help you with?" Krem asked, once he reached Cullen, managing to intercept him just before he reached the folds of Bull's tent. Cullen turned to greet Krem.

"Ah, Cremisius Aclassi right? The Chargers Lieutenant. Well-met."

"Well-met, and just Krem sir...please."

"Of course, Krem. My apologies for calling on you so late in the night, but I was up and wondered if I might have a word with The Iron Bull, provided that he is still awake that is." His eyes shifted from Krem to Sera who had now joined him.

"Sera...what are you up to?"

"Wha? I'm just standing here. Spending some quality time with Kremmy buns here."

"Kremmy Buns?" Cullen and Krem said at the same time, staring at Sera then each other causing Sera to burst out laughing at their response.

"Right." Said Krem with a sigh. "Sorry Commander but the chief's ah...indisposed at the moment. Perhaps I can help you with something?" Cullen's eyes shifted between Krem and Sera, not certain if he wanted to really know why those two were together so late at night.

"Since we will be fighting together, I thought it would be imperative to compare strategies. It wouldn't do either of us any good to trip over each other in battle."

"Ah, of course. I can assist with that sir. How about tomorrow I can come by with some of the Chargers and we can go through a few drills."

"That sounds g..." Cullen was cut off by the sound of moaning coming from The Iron Bull's tent. Cullen looked at the tent flap then to Krem who gave him a guilty smile.

"Right, so I'll see you tomorrow sir. Bright and early." Cullen nodded slowly.

"Right...tomorrow." Before he could leave however, Josephine calling out to him. Cullen turn to see Josephine and Blackwall walking to join him, Krem and Sera in front of Bull's tent. Krem groaned, he almost got rid of the Commander, now more company had joined them.

"Commander! What are you doing here?" Josephine asked. Before he could answer, Sera interrupted him.

"Wait a second. What are you and beardy doing together?"

"It's late. Lady Josephine wanted to speak with The Iron Bull and I offered to accompany her. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Right." Sera said with a grin. "That's so knightly of you innit?"

"That's right." Josephine responded on Blackwall's behalf. "It was. "Commander" She started, turning to face Cullen fully. "What are you doing here? Is The Iron Bull still up? I hoped to speak with him about his fee. There are few details that need to be sorted out."

"Oh I am positive he's up." Cullen muttered.

"What was that Commander?" Josephine asked.

"I said I came to ask him about battle strategies but Bull is indisposed at the moment."

"Ah. I feared it was too late to come by. I suppose it will have to wait until tomorrow then."

"I'll be sure to let the Chief know you stopped by M'lady." Krem piped up, hoping to speed their departure.

"Thank You Cremisius. " She replied with a nod. She turned to leave. Cullen and Blackwall following behind her when they heard a distinctly female voice scream out _OH MAKER YES. _This stopped everyone in their tracks. Simultaneously the three them turned around to face Bull's tent. Krem groaned again, loudly this time and Sera nearly fell on the floor laughing.

"Was that..." Josephine started. She stopped herself and turned around again. "You know what? I don't want to know." With that, she walked away at a quickened pace, the others tailing behind her.


	14. Cassandra and Bull

Bull watched from his perch on a stack of tied wooden planks as Cassandra hacked at the defenseless training dummy. The wood gave an audible crack as her sword slammed into it after a barrage of swings. She cursed under her breath at the lost of another training dummy. This was the third one she had broken this week. She stepped forward and inspected the damage she caused, the burlap sack head hung back limply as the cracked wood within it weighed it down. Bull let out a low whistle. She had felt Bull's lingering eyes on her as she trained but refrained from questioning him since he was being quiet about. It seemed that he suddenly wanted to get social. Cassandra glared at him out of the corner of her eye hoping to convey her annoying through her glance.

"Is there something you need Bull?" She asked, not turning her head to look at him.

"Oh no no. Just thinking that if that was an enemy, his head would've been on the ground. You're pretty damn impressive Seeker."

She frowned and turned to face him fully. "I am glad you are so entertained, but I am not here for your amusement. Certainly there is something more constructive you could be doing right now."

Bull let out a chuckle and stood, easily towering over her. "Nah, this is pretty much all I have to do right now. Krem's handling the drills today."

"Lucky me." Cassandra replied flatly. Bull barked out a laugh.

"You are lucky, because I am going to give you an offer you can't refuse."

"That remains to be seen." She quipped.

"I offer you the gift of me." He said with a grin as he gestured to himself as if he was showcasing a prize. Cassandra rose a brow as she watched the spectacle and turned back to the row of training dummies intent on beginning her training again.

"I'm flattered but no thank you."

"No? You sure? I guarantee Seeker.." His voice dropping into a deep seductive tone. "You won't be disappointed." He grinned and leaned against one of the dummies, the wood creaking under his weight.

"Yes...I have heard that you have glowing reviews from a lot of the women in camp but I am sure that I will be fine without your...services."

"Glowing reviews eh?" He stroked his chin and flashed her a smug smile, obviously pleased by the comment. Cassandra rolled her eyes and let out a grunt in disgust.

"Do you mind moving? I still have some training to do." She gestured to the dummy he was leaning on.

"While I would totally be up for a night between the sheets with you, that's not what I was referring to. I've watched you for a while seeker. You go hard when you train and these fragile little dummies just aren't enough for a woman like you. So, I wanted to offer myself up as a sparring partner."

"How magnanimous of you." She replied flatly.

"I know right? What can I say? I'm a giver. So what do you say?"

"Why are you doing this?" He furrowed his brow.

"I thought I already explained that pa-"

"No." She said cutting him off. "I don't buy it. You have to have some alternative motive for this, just like your reason for joining the Inquisition in the first place."

"Ah.." He replied, the realization of her words finally dawning on him. "You mean because I am Ben-Hassrath."

"Precisely. So what is your true motive?"

"Wait, for joining the Inquisition or wanting to train with you?"

"Both." She replied as she impaled the dummy with a sword freeing her hands so she could fold them across her chest. She looked up to Bull, waiting for him to explain himself.

"Well it's like I told the Herald and Red, I work with the Ben-Hassrath but I work for the Inquisition as well. They are just as concerned about the Breach as the Inquisition is."

"Not enough to send more Qunari to come help though." Bull grunted at her words, the truth of them stinging a bit.

"It not exactly like the Qunari would be welcomed with open arms. Whenever a fleet of Qunari move anywhere, people think it is an invasion."

"Because most of the time it is." She interjected.

"Okay...yes...shit you are making this conversation really difficult. Okay, yes I work for the Ben-Hassrath and yes I am sending them information about the Inquisition but all information being sent gets reviewed by Red first. I am also giving you guys information."

"And if you had to make a choice one day between the Inquisition and the Ben-Hassrath?" For the first time during this conversation, Bull's smile disappeared. His expression darkened and his tone became serious.

"I am loyal to Qun Seeker, but I'd like to think I am a man of honor. I wouldn't just stab you in the back. I would at least warn you first."

"But you would still turn on us?"

"If the Qun demanded it...yes. I wouldn't be happy about it though. I haven't been here long but It's not bad here. Got a good group here...Best case scenario, I would try to convince them to convert you guys to the Qun. At least that way, I wouldn't have to kill any of you..." Bull fell silent after noticing Cassandra's icy glare. He could understand her displeasure with his words. If he was in her position, he would probably be a bit pissed to, however, he wouldn't apologize for his dedication to the Qun. Despite his drinking, sleeping around and pretty much ignoring every other rule the Qun set forth, he was loyal to it. He had to be. What was the alternative? Become Tal-Vashoth? No fucking way. After what seemed like an eternity of silence to Bull, Cassandra let out a snort and retrieved her sword from the training dummy. With her sword in hand, rolled her shoulders forward and stretched her neck to each side. After that, she rotated each wrist twice and with her right hand which held the sword did an arching back slash. Feeling warmed up, she faced Bull.

"You plan on sparring with your bare hands?"

"Uh...no...But I thoug-"

"Don't get me wrong Bull. I still do not trust you, especially after what you have said. That said, as long as our goals align, we are allies and I will treat you as such."

"How pragmatic of you Seeker." Bull replied with a grin, grabbing a nearby training sword and readying himself. "Whenever you are ready." As soon as he finished his sentence, she charged forward, both hands gripping the handle of her sword and she raised it over her head and brought it down in a swift strike. Bull, surprised by the sudden charge barely had time to parry the blow. Expecting the parry, Cassandra brought down another swift strike. Bull, not having enough time to parry, opted to jump back instead, dodging the blow.

"Shit Seeker...you don't play around. This is gonna get me riled up. Sure this can't end with the two of us getting sweaty in other ways?"

"Not a chance." She said, her lips fighting the to stop the its upward curve into a smile, not wanting to let Bull know she found him somewhat amusing. Bull only grinned as the Seeker charged forward again, their blades meeting once more, the sound of metal clashing ringing throughout the training area.


	15. Preparing to meet the Templars

A/N: This one is technically not a first impression as they all know each other at this point. You can say they never interacted with each to a great extent before this.

Varric leaned back in his chair, uncomfortable with the unusual silence that surrounded the tavern. It was the in the wee hours of the morning and most of Haven's residents were asleep. Besides his group, the only other people around were guards who just finished their shift and sought to drown their worries in a mug of ale. Varric stared at the half empty bottle of Sun Blonde Vint-1 that he held in his hands. If he remembered correctly, he only had two bottles left. Idly, he swirled the contents in the bottle around making a mental note to get some more delivered to Haven when they returned.

His eyes moved from the bottle to the group currently gathered at the table around him. To his left was Cassandra, her expression etched in a frown as she stared at him disapprovingly. It seems like the Seeker still didn't care for him. That was just fine as the feeling was mutual. The Seeker was a bit too much of a hard ass for his liking. In a way, she reminded him of Aveline, the current Guard Captain of Kirkwall. Both were tough as nails women who believed in rules and regulations. These beliefs usually put him, Hawke and Isabela in hot water with Aveline on many occasions. Varric smiled slightly at a memory of Aveline threatening to throw the lot of them in a hold if she ever caught them doing the illegal things she just knew they were doing. The key distinction between the Seeker and the Guard Captain was how they managed their emotions. As hard as Aveline was, she had a softer side too. Aveline knew when to let her guard down whereas he was certain the Seeker didn't know what a feeling was if it bit her in the ass. He also firmly believed that if she spontaneously ever showed some form of emotion that it would be a more telling sign of the end of the world than the breach itself. Varric chastised himself. That was probably an unfair assessment of the seeker, but he couldn't help himself. Being threatened at knife point did not exactly leave him with a good first impression.

Cassandra let out a scoff signaling the wall of restraint she had crumbling. It seemed that she could not inhibit whatever rebuke she had managed to hold back since she first saw Varric sitting at the table with the others. He sighed and prepared for the inevitable tongue lashing.

"You do know that it is morning Varric." She said tersely.

"That big bright ball in the sky seems to confirm that assessment Seeker." Varric deadpanned before taking another drink from the bottle.

"It is just past first light and you are already drinking!" Varric could tell, she was doing all she could to hold herself back from jumping across the table and snatching the bottle from his hands. He moved back a bit, just to be on the safe side, making sure he was just out of reach.

"You do know that I am a dwarf right? As babies, we didn't drink from our mother's tit, we drank straight from the bottle." He grinned holding the bottle up in a mock cheer to the Seeker.

"Hah! Sounds a lot like my childhood." Said Bull with a laugh from the right of Varric. "Hey that's the Vint drink right? Can I get some of that?" Varric shrugged and passed the bottle over, already having his fill for the time being.

"Knock yourself out. You can have the rest."

"Nice." Bull replied taking the bottle and downing its remaining contents in one gulp.

"Hmm..."

"Something wrong Varric?" Bull asked as he set the bottle back onto the table.

"No, just trying to think of a nickname for you. Kind of my thing."

"Oh? Well tell me whatcha got."

"Well I don't have anything just yet. But i'll be sure to randomly call you it when I do." Bull laughed.

"Well alright then. Look forward to hearing it."

"You aren't like most Qunari."

"You knew a lot then?"

"Only the ones that decided to go on a rampage and take over Kirkwall."

"Ah...yeah...heard about that."

Cassandra was livid. She stood from the table, her fist banging its surface.

"We are not gathered here for fun, we have a mission to complete."

"And that's why I am drinking Seeker." Varric replied nonchalantly. "I shoot better after a few drinks."

"No one shoots better after a few drinks!" She argued.

"Dwarves do. It's a fact."

"Dwarves are weird." Sera interjected from her spot in the corner, startling everyone. The group turned to look at her and she shrugged. "What? They are."

"And Elves are the paragons of normal." Varric replied with a smile to which Sera stuck her tongue out in response, eliciting a chuckle from him.

"So what are you doing here Buttercup? Going to join us on our grand journey?"

"Pfft, I'm always here. You lot are the ones intruding and piss on that journey rubbish. You can go have fun with your shiny helmet types. I'm fine to sit that one out."

"Yes, that would be the better call." Vivienne spoke up from her spot next to Bull. "To broker and alliance with the Templars, we need a degree of tact and the tactless should say in camp."

Growling, Sera stood and swiped a mug from a nearby table. She reared her arm back to throw it at Vivienne.

"The moment that mug leaves your hand my dear is the moment you become an Elven ice sculpture." Sera balked upon hearing that. From Vivienne's tone, she could tell it wasn't an idle threat. She wasn't a fan of magic and did not want to be a on the receiving end of any spell. It was already bad enough she had to constantly dodge them when she was out with the Herald she definitely didn't want to deal with it while in Haven. With a grumble, she plopped back down in her chair, grumbling about frigid ice bitches invading her Tavern.

"Good girl." Vivienne said with a satisfied smile, turning back to face the table.

"So only the tactful are going huh? First time I've been called that." Bull said, stroking his chin.

"You STILL haven't been called that, darling. That comment was not a blanket statement to everyone in the party, though I will say you have more tact that the scruffy little guttersnipe in the corner there." Sera flipped Vivienne off behind her back but did not say anything else, still wary of the earlier threat.

"Uh...not sure how to take that...you insulted me and complimented me in the same breath."

"You say thank you my dear."

"Err..okay? Thank you ma'am..."

Cassandra sighs. "Back to the original point. It is exactly because we need tact that you and Bull should not be drinking Varric."

"I think you are just angry that I didn't offer you any Seeker."

"Well I must say, I am very surprised that you were able to get such an exclusive brand and equally surprised that you hadn't bothered to offer any to anyone before you downed it like a barbarian. I thought your upbringing would have imposed better manners than that."

"How do you consistently manage to insult and compliment people at the same time? That has got to be a talent." Varric replied, shaking his head.

"I know right?" Bull mumbled mostly to himself, thinking back to her earlier comment to him.

"Well I am certainly a talented individual, but flattery will get you nowhere."

Varric sighed. "I didn't think anyone would want any. It is first thing in the morning after all." Varric said with a sly grin, his eyes glued on Cassandra watching with hidden glee as her face contorted in anger.

"Do you want me to get you a drink from the bar?" He continued.

"Hardly." Vivienne replied waving a dismissive hand. "I wouldn't be caught dead drinking the plebeian libations they serve here. The fact that I am here in this squalor at all is bad enough."

"My apologies Iron Lady for insulting your refined tastes. How about I get you a bottle of your very own when we get back?"

Vivienne smiled, satisfied. "That would be acceptable my dear. How very kind of you."

"Hey Varric, you think I can have some too? Bull asked.

"Wait, I thought Qunari hated all things Tevinter?"

"Eh, they make a good drink. Has a hell of a kick to it."

"Ugh!" Cassandra exclaimed, throwing her hands up in defeat. "I'm going to wait outside."

Kira walked down towards Haven's tavern, Cullen beside her. He offered to walk her to the tavern and fill her in on a few more details before she attempted to persuade the Templars to join the Inquisition's cause. However he had remained silent the entire walk. There was obviously something on his mind, one look at his face and she could tell her was wrestling with his thoughts. A few steps away from the door, Cullen grabbed her hand, surprising her and himself at his boldness. She turned from the door to face him, her eyes studying his face, noting the worry etched across it.

"I think it is good you decided to go with the Templar's instead of the mage's but..." He sighed and rubbed the back of his head with his free hand. "I just worry how they will take a mage attempting to persuade them. I worry that some of them may not welcome you with open arms." Kira smiled and squeezed his gauntleted hand in her own. Even though he could not feel her skin against his own, he understood the gesture.

"Don't worry Commander." She said with a bright smile. You won't be losing your Herald just yet. I'm sure there are still good Templars there that want to do their swore duty and close the breach just as badly as we do. They will excuse the fact that I am a mage for that goal." Cullen frowned, not entirely convinced.

"I'm worried about losing more than just a Herald..." He said so softly that Kira barely heard it. She started to ask him to repeat what he said, to tell her exactly what he meant but thought better of it, afraid that she may have heard him wrong, misunderstood his words and his intentions. Cullen sighed again.

"Just...be careful. The Lord Seeker's actions as of late worry me. I am afraid he may incite some of the Templars against you. I doubt they will do anything to you with so many nobles about so stay with them as much as you can. Be sure to keep the others you are taking with you as well. You know as well as I that if they were so inclined the Templars could lock your magic down and you will be defenseless. Try to avoid being alone with any of them. Be sure to make contact with Knight-Templar Barris. I do not know him personally, but he seems to be a good man. He is the one who reached out to me and might be your best hope at reaching an accord with the others. Herald...Kira...Please be safe."

Cullen finally released her head, lowering it slowly till it gently fell to her side, she stood in silence, her eyes studying his face. She wanted to say something, wanted to do something but her fear restrained her. What if she was looking too much into this? After all, she was a mage and he a former Templar. That mattered right? Did it matter? Her thought jumbled, she numbly turn around back to the door, trying to make sense of what just happened and what it all meant. Before she could reach for the handle, the door flew open and an enraged Cassandra barreled right into her knocking her off of her feet and into the arms of Cullen who was still standing behind her.

"Are you okay?" Cullen asked quickly, holding Kira against his chest where she had fell back into, concern laced in his voice. Kira nodded slowly, hoping that the heat she felt rising in her cheeks was not a blush from being held against Cullen's chest plate. For a fleeting moment, her mind cursed that he wore that damn armor all the time.

"Herald are you okay?!" Cassandra asked alarmed, her anger dissipating into concern. Realizing that he was still holding onto Kira, Cullen gently eased her to her feet and took a few steps back. He kept his face stoic even as he missed feeling the weight of her in his arms.

"Yeah...I'm fine." Kira replied, not hiding the disappointment in her voice. She wasn't quite ready to leave his arms just yet.

"We are ready to go." She continued, casting one last glance at Cullen before leading the way to the entrance of Haven. Bull, Vivienne and Varric filed out of the tavern, following behind her.

"Varric." Cullen called, causing the Dwarf to stop and look over his shoulder. Varric gave him a knowing nod.

"Don't worry curly, I'll keep an eye on her."


	16. Vivienne and Solas

"Oh wonderful. You are all here together." Vivienne called, upon exiting the Chantry. She made her way to the Inquisition's advisors who were currently talking amongst themselves in front of a tent just outside of the Chantry which Leliana had temporarily set herself up in. Cullen immediately tried to break away from the group and return to the quiet of the war room. He remembered his last encounter with the iron lady with bitterness and did not feel like reliving the moment. He felt a hand grab his arm and yank him back, his eyes wide as he saw Josephine giving him a stern look. He sighed feeling like a child being scolded by an overbearing mother.

"Madame de Fer!" Josephine exclaimed cheerfully as soon as Vivienne reached them, releasing Cullen's arm. "What can we do for you?" Vivienne gave her a small smile but turn her attention to Cullen much to his annoyance.

"As you know, the Herald was able to secure an alliance with the templars." They nodded in unison, waiting for her to finish.

"For the templars to effectively do their job, they will need a large supply of lyrium. More than what we have here at Haven."

"Of course, Madame de Fer." Josephine said. "I have it all well in hand."

"You?" Vivienne asked raising her brow and turning to Josephine. Josephine felt her anger bubbling up within her but quelled it just as quickly as it had came. Vivienne was only displaying the same level of incredulity in the Montilyets' that everyone else has expressed as of late. With the lost of their fortune, they have become the butt of many jokes and the subject of much criticism. Josephine refused to let the other noble families who ridiculed her family behind their backs get to her and she'll be damned if she let Vivienne get to her either.

"Yes, this is such a minor task, the others need not be bothered with it."

"Don't sell yourself short, Josie." Leliana cut in. "You taking on tasks such as this one is a great boon to the rest of us. Truly I don't know how you manage to get these side projects done as well as handle all of your diplomatic duties for the Inquisition as well." Josephine looked at Leliana and smiled. What a wonderful friend she was, to stand up for her like that. Of course she knew that Leliana knew she didn't need help handling someone like Vivienne but the gesture was appreciated all the same.

"Ah yes...your quest to restore the Inquisition back to its former glory and getting the nobles of Thedas to support it. I suppose only time will tell how you fare in that task. Currently..." Vivienne turned her head to look around Haven for a few moments, taking in the sight of the makeshift head quarters the Inquisition has made for themselves. It was crowded, small and not fit to welcome the refined guest that Josephine hoped to attract. "Your efforts seem a bit lacking my dear." Josephine gave a small chuckle at the biting remark.

"Truly..this place is barely habitable but we are still very young and we have much more growing to do. We will build this Inquisition into something wonderful. Something the people of Thedas can believe in. Something that can halt this chaos."

"Well said my dear." Vivienne responded with a small smile. "Do let me know if you need assistance with securing the lyrium for the Templers."

"Oh Madame de Fer please! I could hardly expect someone as prestigious as the former adviser to Empress Celene to lower themselves to such a menial task." Vivienne's left eye twitched at the comment and she glared at Josephine. Leliana pressed her lips together struggling to hold back her laughter. It was clear Josephine hit a sore spot. Cullen looked between the two women from Josephine's smiling face to Vivienne's poorly suppressed scowl. This definitely seemed like a cat fight, though it was hard to be sure through all the veiled insults and honeyed words. Cullen sighed. Why can't they just argue like normal people? He hated this bloody game.

"Cullen?" Cullen's head turned to the familiar voice to see the Herald looking at him with a smile.

"Are you ready to go over in detail what happened at Therinfal Redoubt?"

"Maker yes!" Cullen said a bit more excitedly than he intended, anxious to get out of this obviously tense situation. "Ladies." He said giving a quick bow before running off to join Kira's side.

"You are truly a sight for sore eyes. I could kiss you for saving me back there." Cullen said once they were out of earshot of the other three women. Kira looked at him, a grin on her face.

"Oh really?" She replied.

"Oh I.I..err..." Cullen sputtered, his words finally taking purchase in his mind and making him feel incredibly embarrassed. He let out a nervous cough, gaining control of himself once more.

"My apologies Herald. I merely mean I appreciate your timely arrival."

"Ah...no kiss then? Pity." Kira said teasingly the grin still on her face, leaving Cullen to wonder how much of what she just said was a jest.

The Herald's interruption gave Vivienne more than enough time to regain her composure.

"It seems your information is incorrect my dear." She said, pulling Josephine and Leliana's focus back to her. "I _am_ still Empress Celene's adviser. That hack she currently keeps at her side is nothing but a little pet to the entertain the Empress while I am away from court."

"Of course Vivienne." Josephine replied. "Now if you excuse me, I must get this arranged before the templar's arrival." Leliana gave Vivienne a slight nod of her head, a knowing smile her face that only served to infuriate Vivienne. She watched the women walk away. She will have keep an eye on those two in the future.

"Is there something you needed, Solas? Or is eavesdropping a normal habit for apostates?" Solas stood and stepped from around the tent where he had been sitting.

"Considering that I was here first, I hardly think I can be accused of eavesdropping."

"Yet you did not announce your presence to anyone present. Instead you sat quietly and listened. I do believe that is the exact definition of eavesdropping."

"Think whatever you will. I have no desire to argue this point with someone like you."

"Someone like me? Vivienne asked finally turning to face him. "And pray tell what do you mean by that?"

"Someone who seems to hate what they are. You are a mage, yet you find solace in the bosom of a templar. The rhetoric they spew in the Circle seems to be more effective than I originally thought." He replied, walking past her intending to return to his billet. Vivienne turned as he walked past, staring at him with her left brow raised in amusement.

"You know absolutely nothing about me my dear. Do not presume otherwise."

"Don't I?" He replied stilling his steps and turning around to face her once more.

"Your actions speak louder than your words ever could. Since you have arrived in Haven, you have made your opinion of the mage rebellion very clear. You openly supported the choice to seek the aid of the templar rather than the mages."

"Ah so you would rather that I blindly follow those who are unequivocally wrong simply because we share the ability to use magic? What ludicrous line of thinking. Are all apostates as doltish as you or is it a trait you hold all on your own?"

"So instead of answering my charges, you hurl insults. How very childish of you."

"It is all you deserve my dear. Your preposterous way of thinking shows just how much of an imbecile you are thus I must treat you as one." Solas opened his mouth to speak but Vivienne spoke over him.

"Based on your ludicrous logic, I am to abandon all my beliefs simply because of one commonality? Does the same extend to you then? Are you telling me you and that halfwit in the tavern at present probably drinking and polluting the air with her bodily odors are the same simply because you both are elves? I have always treated you with a modicum more respect because I thought you had to be at least more intelligent than that waste of space, but it seems that my line of thinking was wrong. A pity, I thought that you had at least some sense, despite being an apostate."

"So you are saying that you went with the templars simply because of your beliefs, not because of your prejudice against mages."

"Prejudice against mages? My, where do you come up with such nonsense darling? I do not have any sort of prejudice against mages or magic. I embrace my magic my dear, I always have and always will. I will not however, side with a bunch of misguided fools who do not care about who they hurt to get their way. They are like children throwing a tantrum because their favorite toy was taken away and they do not care who gets caught in the middle of their fit. Are you blind to the damage they have done, Solas? Are you so truly for mages that you turn a blind eye to the hurt they have wrought upon the land? Do you truly mean to tell me that you believe their magic should go unchecked? Not everyone shares your discipline my dear. Not all mages have the power to ignore the whispers of demon. I have seen it firsthand. The templars are a tool and while I agree that they sometimes overstep their bounds, they are a useful tool. This rebellion helps no one. It only adds to the existing chaos."

"So you agree with the Chantry? You agree that mages need to be locked up for everyone's sake as well as their own? They should accept that they will never know the joys of true freedom, love, marriage and having a family? I couldn't imagine being bound in such a way. To not be able to study what I want freely, explore the world when I want. To think that you condone this...it's sickening." At this, Vivienne laughed. Solas frowned, failing to see the humor in his words.

"Oh my, you have certainly bought the woe is me story from them haven't you? We are not quite as contained as they would have you believe. I am a shining example of that. The ones kept under lock and key are the ones who lack control of themselves."

"So you are telling me that they are never hunted down because they are gifted with magic? They are never taken away from their families as children simply because of what they are? Being an apostate, I myself always need to be wary of where I travel. The templars are more of a threat to me than spirits ever have been."

"Yes, they are taken from their families at young ages, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Their families could never understand them the way another mage could. There is a certain comradeship that only comes from being surrounded by other mages. I found myself at peace being surrounded by others like me. Do you truly mean to tell me you enjoy your life of solitude? You have never wished for companionship?"

"You presume that I do not have companionship. You are wrong in that regard. I have friends who have showed me such wonders, far beyond that in which you have dreamed. This is however, not about me. This is about the circle mages. You suggest that they put up with the abuses and the restrictions? They should lives like animals bound in cages?"

" I don't believe I ever said I agree with what the templars have done. I believe they need to be regulated as well. I am simply saying that this rebellion whether right or wrong was ill timed. Fear of magic is at an all time high thanks to that foolish mage in Kirkwall. Instead of voting to rebel, they should have let that fear dissipate. just like everywhere else in the world, life in the Circle could be good or it could be bad. I am simply saying, not every experience was as bad as you think. If you will not take my word for it, ask our Herald how the Circle has been for her. Or is her word no longer acceptable because she decided to go with the big bad templars?"

Solas stared hard at Vivienne, his jaw clenched and a deep frown on his face. He shook his head and turn away from her.

"This conversation is getting us nowhere."

"You are right, it is not and quite frankly, your presence now bores me." She walked past him, back towards the Chantry.

"Lovely chat my dear. Let's not have one again."

Solas shook his head. He did not agree with Sera on most things, but he would agree with her opinion on Vivienne.


	17. Cole and Solas

"Remarkable." Solas whispered as he began to circle around Cole to get a better look at him. Unsure of what was going on, Cole followed his movements turning to face Solas whenever he tried to get behind him. Solas stopped and looked at Cole, who tilted his head in curiosity returning the gaze.

"My apologies, I should not stare at you as if you are some specimen to be studied."

"You are not afraid of me? The others are afraid of me." Solas gave Cole a small smile.

"That is because they do not understand you. They see you as only a demon. They do not understand that you are so much more than that."

"No, they are right. I am a demon but I do not want to be. Dark and desperate, death to make me feel alive. I don't want to be like that. Not any longer. I want to be something more. "

"It is commendable that you want to better yourself, Cole."

"Yes. Thank you. I want to heal the hurt. I can do that." Solas gave him a small nod and looked Cole over still amazed at his very existence. Every fiber in Solas' body yearned to study Cole in depth. Of course there was such a thing a possession, that in itself wasn't a very uncommon occurrence but Cole was different. He wasn't possessing a live body. In fact, Solas wasn't sure whether he was possessing anyone at all. It seemed as if Cole existed through his own will, his own desire to be real.

"Are you okay, Solas?" Solas blinked at the question, stirred from his previous musings.

"I am fine, Cole, why do you ask?"

"Your song...I hear it but it is subtle. I can't make out the words. It is old...I want to help but-" Solas chuckled softly, cutting him off.

"Do not concern yourself with me Cole. I am fine. There are others who are in more immediate need than I." Cole nodded slowly and looked up at the Breach.

"Do you wish to go back to the fade?" Solas asked. Cole remained silent for a few moments before responding.

"Yes, No, I don't know." He paused trying to think of how to express his feelings. "It is bright here, glittering, glaring. Sometime it is too much, too painful. Sometimes I want to go back. I can't, but sometimes I want to. But I can help the helpless and heal their hurt. So I want to stay." Solas smiled.

"Tell me, Cole, do you remember your past? Do you remember what manner of spirit you were before you slipped through the veil?"

"It is...unclear, clouded. I hear their cries, feel their pain. I slipped through to help in their final moments. I..." He frowned, pausing and placed his hand on his forehead, pushing his floppy hat upwards slightly. He removed his hand and shook his head. "I'm sorry, that is all I can remember." Solas nodded.

"That is more than enough, Cole. If I had to garner a guess, I would say that you are a spirit of compassion. I have never met one until now, but what you describe closely resembles the embodiment of what compassion is."

"Compassion..." Cole repeated. "Yes. It is familiar...I am..I was...am I still Compassion?" Before Solas can answer another voice cut in.

"There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere!" They both turned to see Varric heading towards them.

"Jeez, kid when you don't want to be found, you seriously don't want to be found."

"I didn't want to be found? No, I don't think I wasn't trying to be found, Varric. I was talking so I have to be seen to talk." Cole nodded to himself, agreeing to his own logic. Varric shook his head.

"I didn't mean literally, kid...at least not this time."

"You call him Kid?" Solas asked, raising a brow.

"I do, I think it is one of my better nicknames personally."

"Kid...he would keep me kept with a name. Makes sure to not forget. I like it."

"Yeah...what he just said." Varric said with a smile. Solas sighed.

"As you wish, Cole. You were looking for him, Varric? Why? Is something wrong?"

"Not at all, just wanted to thank him for his help at Therinfal Redoubt. You really saved our asses back there. The Herald especially."

"I helped? Thank you!" Varric could see Cole smiling under his hat. He chuckled and gave the thin man a smack on the back, causing him to stumble forward.

"You ain't bad, kid."

"No, I don't want to be. I want to help."

"I know that, kid." He sighed. "I see I'm going to have to teach you about how figure of speech works."

"Speeches don't have figures." Varric sighed again.

"It is going to be a long lesson."

"In any case-" Solas interrupted the banter between them. "I am glad you are treating him respectfully Varric, unlike some of the others in the Inquisition." Varric shrugged.

"You can't really blame em', chuckles. Being told all your life that demons are bad would instantly make someone wary of something straight from the fade."

"Yes, I am aware of the ignorance of many. I am merely commending you for not being one of them. It is surprising, usually children of the stone are even more wary of magic and demons than most since it is a phenomenon they are unable to grasp being cut off fade as they are."

"Ha! I suppose that's true, but my time with Hawke gave me the opportunity to become vexatiously familiar with demons and the like. I know enough to know that the kid here isn't one of the bad ones."

"Last card slid across the table. Buttercup giggles happily. A good hand. Her cheer is infectious, smiles all around even Broody cracks a smile, tries to hide it behind his cards; but not on his face, never on his face. Anger, always anger. Tucking her red hair behind her ear she smiles, beautiful, trusting, loving and slides a mug to him. Temporary smile, he graces her. She doesn't notice it isn't true. You're in right, Anders? He nods, the smile leaves once she looks away. Justice is not happy. Never happy."

"Justice?" Solas spoke up. Varric sighed.

"Yeah...that's what Anders called that thing in him. Justice when it was quiet and Vengeance when it was all death to Templars."

"You had the opportunity to interact with the spirit known as Justice?"

"No. Most of my interactions were with the pissy demon named vengeance." Solas opened his mouth to speak only to be cut off by Varric. "And this isn't exactly my favorite topic so drop it."

"Tears, shaking. Arms wrapped around, whispering, trying to console. Why did he betray us? She asks. There was no answer to give. If she wouldn't have killed him, I would have. Need to make her forget, just for now, the only way I know how. Kissing, touching-"

"Woooah there kid. That's enough of that." Solas quirked a brow but said nothing.

"You miss her." Cole said. It was a statement rather than a question.

"Yeah kid...I do." Varric said with a frown.

"So uh, tell me. Can you do that all the time? Like look into people's minds?"

"I can hear the hurt. Old and new."

"And you got that thing right? Where you can disappear right?"

"I don't disappear. I am always here, people just forget.

"Right right." Varric stroked his chin. "You know...those two skills together, you can probably make a lot of coin..."

"Varric." Solas said in a warning tone.

"What? I'm just saying.


	18. Chapter 18

Hey all,

After giving it some thought, I really don't want to stop writing these fics. I've enjoyed writing them and I love you guys reading them. I am going to keep writing but it may take me a bit longer than normal to update so please bear with me.


	19. Roderick and Dorian

Grand Chancellor Roderick sucked in a ragged breath and pressed a hand to his wound. The bandages the lay sister had put on him was already saturated with blood. He didn't regret his actions however. He couldn't sit idly by and watch these defenseless women be torn apart. His heroism was a bit foolhardy as he was hardly more equipped to take on the foes than they were. If not for that young man, they all would have surely died.

Roderick thought back to that moment. He winced, swearing he could feel the sword puncture his gut once more. He should have been dead then and there. His enemy certainly planned on finishing the job as he ripped the blade from his gut with the intent of lopping his head off. Before he could do so however, a staff crashed against his foe's face, causing him stumble backward. He recalled promptly falling onto his backside, his wound racking pain throughout his body. He remembered squeezing his eyes close, trying to will the pain away but snapped them open as screams of his enemy reached his ears. Before him, his foe had been engulfed in flame and it dawned on him that he had been saved by a mage. A very well dressed mage. The man asked him if he was alright. He couldn't place the accent. It was hard to think at such a time. HIs memory gets fuzzy from there.

He sucked in another labored breath and wondered if he would last the night. Would any of them? The attack against them was relentless. The blood curdling screams that echoed throughout Haven were prevalent. Everyone was fighting, giving their all, but the reality was that they were outnumbered. He looked around the Chantry, watching the people run to and fro trying to help the other wounded. He was surprised to see so many had survived. He had overheard some of the most recent arrivals say that they were saved by the Herald.

The Herald...a mage. Was she truly sent here by the Divine prophet? The idea was blasphemy! Why would Andraste chose someone like her as her Herald? There were so many others that were more worthy! A small bottle appeared in front of his face, snapping him from his thoughts. The bottle contained a red liquid. He looked at it for a moment curiously then used his eyes to navigate to the hand and up the arm and eventually to the face of the person holding it. It was the young man, the mage who had helped him. The man shook the bottle lightly, causing its contents to slosh around within the bottle.

"This will help with the pain." Roderick accepted it grudgingly, but did not drink it. Instead he looked at the well dressed man from head to toe.

"You were not here before..." The man nodded.

"I only just arrived a scant few moments before the Venatori."

"The Venatori?" Roderick asked, moving his hand to his side, the pain getting the better of him.

"You know, I'm pretty sure the potion only helps dull the pain if you drink it." Roderick glanced between the man and the bottle warily. What did he honestly have to lose? He uncorked the bottle and downed its contents in one gulp. The taste was terrible but he could feel a warmth wash over his body. The pain dulled and he breathed a sigh of relief. The man nodded in satisfaction.

"Unfortunately...that will only help with the pain...your wounds..." Roderick held up his hand. Not wanting to hear anymore.

"I am grateful. Now...who are the Venatori?"

"They would be those fellows destroying Haven at the moment alongside the mages from Redcliffe."

"Blasted mages!" The outburst from Roderick made the man's left brow rise in surprise. Roderick frowned, feeling ashamed at offending his savior. 

"My apologies..I didn't mean you. I just meant-"

"I know what you meant." The man replied cutting him off. "The mages aren't exactly themselves at the moment. They are...changed. The Venatori's doing."

"But who are the Venatori? Where are they from?" The man sighed and folded his arms across his chest before propping himself up against a nearby wall.

"They are group of fanatics..."

"But why are they attacking us? Where are they from?" A realization hit Roderick."Are they the ones who killed the Divine?"

"They are attacking because the Inquisition poses a potential problem. Better to squash it before it gets big enough to realize that problem. They are from Tevinter-" The man held up a hand stopping Roderick from speaking. He already knew what the next comment would be. "They are from Tevinter but they do not represent Tevinter as a whole. They are a rogue group who are dissatisfied what the Imperium has become. They believe Tevinter's should rule Thedas while most Tevinters just want to live in peace."

Roderick scoffed. "Tevinter's want to live in peace? They are evil blood mages who only care for themselves." The man sighed.

"Have you actually met someone from Tevinter before?" Roderick's brows furrowed as he thought about the question.

"Well...no but..."

"But, hearsay claims all Tevinter's are evil bastards who own slaves and dance around naked while doing blood magic. Something like that right?"

"You are saying that it isn't true?"

"Oh it's absolutely true...just not true of every single Tevinter. Just like I am sure it isn't true that everyone from Fereldan has an unusually close relationship with their mabari hounds."

"That's ridiculous!" Roderick exclaimed.

"Of course it is...just as saying everyone in the Imperium practices blood magic is ridiculous."

"You seem to know a fair bit about Tevinter." Roderick said, eyeing him warily.

"Of course I do! I am from there after all." Roderick's eyes widened.

"Dorian Pavus at your service." Dorian folded one arm behind his back and bowed to Roderick as he spoke.

"So nice to formally meet you. Will you do me the honor of telling me your name?" Roderick remained silent for a moment, warring with his thoughts. He knows what the Chantry says of Tevinter. They are the reason Darkspawn plague the land. It is also no secret that they are ruled by magisters who are known to practice blood magic. It is hard to believe otherwise, despite Dorian saying so. However, this man came to his rescue when he didn't have to. He put himself in harm's way to save him and the lay sisters. It would be disrespectful to not share his name with his savior. He looked up to Dorian and finally spoke.

"I am Grand Chancellor Roderick." Dorian flashed him a grin before settling back to his spot leaning against the wall.

"For a moment there, I thought you were going to tell me to get lost or something."

"Honestly...I considered it." Dorian chuckled.

"Well I'm glad you didn't."

"Why are you here Dorian?"

"And there it is! A question for the ages. Why am I, a Tevinter trying to help stop the Venatori instead of helping them? Like I said, not all Tevinter follow what the Venatori believe. We do not wish to go back to the Tevinter of old. We don't see the past as a time of glory. We see it as a time of shame. I am here because I represent those of the Imperium who want to put an end to this madness. I want to stand with the Inquisition against this evil and show that not all Tevinter's are bat shit insane."

"Nice speech." Roderick muttered so low that Dorian barely heard it.

"Thank you! I wrote down on the way from Tevinter to Redcliffe. I hoped to tell it to the Herald if she came there but she unfortunately never did. I was afraid it was going to go to waste. Thanks so much for being a captivated audience."

Roderick shook his head and wondered if all Tevinter's were this odd. "You didn't answer my last question."

"Oh? And which one was that?"

"Whether this, Venatori killed the Divine." Dorian frowned.

"That, I am afraid I do not know. The power used to destroy the Conclave...it's unlike anything I have ever seen before. I do not know if they have the power necessary to do something like that. Which makes me worry if there is someone behind them with that kind of power." Before Roderick could say another word, the Chantry doors burst open. The Herald rushed in, and a group of soldiers rushed to shut the door behind her. Her face was set into a frown. He could tell that the loss of Haven was hurting her. Her hand gripped her staff so tightly, her knuckles were turning white. Her companions behind her looked tired, but she looked strong, determined to get everyone she had managed to save out alive. For the first time ever, Roderick saw something in her he hadn't noticed before. A light seemed to shine around her. How could he have missed this before? Is this what the others saw? Cullen made his way over to her and they began talking. Roderick attempted to stand up only to be pushed back down by Dorian.

"Woah there. You really shouldn't be standing."

"No...I must stand. I need to see her. I need to see...the Herald." Dorian would never know how much it meant for Roderick to call her that. To finally admit to himself that this woman, this mage was sent here by Andraste. "Please, Dorian. I must see her."

Dorian studied him for a few moment before lending him a shoulder to help him up and lead him towards the Herald.


	20. Josephine and Cole

The shouts seemed to surround her. No not shouts, screams. Screams filled with agony. Around her Haven was burning, bathed in smoke and flame. A few feet in front of her, workers stood grasping their weapons with unsteady hands. She reached for them but it was too late. A blast of fire hit them, knocking her off her feet and away from the workers. Their screams echoed in her ears.

"Lady Josephine! I don't want to die! Please help me!"

"Josephine! Help! Please!"

Josephine reached for them but it was too late. The fire consumed them completely, leaving naught but ash in its wake. Silent tears streamed down her face as she hugged herself. She couldn't help them. They died for her and she couldn't help them. In truth, she doubted her resolve to continue her work with the Inquisition. The idea of creating an organization that can bring order to a world thrown into chaos was an attractive one, and she knew that lives may be lost, but she didn't know it would be because of her. She wanted to save lives, not take them and certainly not be the reason why others gave their lives. The guilt that these people gave their lives to save hers made her reconsider her place in the Inquisition.

"That's not how it happened. Why did you do it? Make it worse?" Josephine immediately looked up to the new and eerily calm voice to see Cole standing next to her. She stood slowly, her eyes trained on him as she dabbed away the tears that still saturated her face with the sleeve of her shirt. Not very lady like but she didn't care at the moment.

"You. You are Cole, right? what...what's happening?" Cole looked down to her then back to the burning expanse of Haven.

"Yes, I am Cole. You remembered, I let you remember." He titled his head to the side staring thoughtfully into the distance before proceeding. "You-" He paused and considered his words. "You had pain, weighing, dragging, hurting. I could hear it. I wanted to help so I came." She remained silent, considering his words. Her headache slightly as she tried to piece what he was saying together. Something about this did not feel right. Something about this whole scene. It felt real but at the same time, it felt very foreign.

"I...I don't understand." She admitted finally, realizing that trying to rationalize this situation herself wasn't going to work. He frowned and cocked his head to the side once more trying to figure out the best way to explain the concept of a fade to a non-mage.

"You had pain. It hurt you. I saw it and wanted to help so I slipped in, through the crack but you couldn't see so I had to make you see."

"I don't understand. What did you do to me! Where am I?"

"I just wanted to-"

"LET ME OUT COLE!"

"I can't! I didn't let you in!"

"What are you talking about?!"

"This world, is yours. I only woke you up inside of it, made you aware, made you see so I can help." She held her head in her hands not understanding what he was trying to say. She took a deep breath and thought. It was quiet. She didn't notice until now but the screams died out. It was eerily quiet around her. Lifting her head from her hands, she looked around and saw that Haven was quiet. The town which was once bathed in flame was now completely clear. Flames no longer consumed buildings. Dead bodies no longer littered the town.

"This-this isn't real." She murmured. Cole nodded once.

"No, not real. A fragment of reality, twisted, formed, made by you." The pieces clicked together as he spoke. Her eyes glanced down to the ground beneath her feet, wondering how it felt so solid beneath her. How could this possibly feel so real?

"The fade." She whispered it as a statement rather than a question. Cole nodded his head in response regardless.

"But...but I am not a mage! I cannot go to the fade!"

"All that is living visit, most are just not aware. The ones with the old song don't come. The song stops them from entering. Too heavy, too attached to the stone. They have to be brought through forcefully." Josephine shook her head at his explanation, not fully understanding what he was trying say.

"Everything feels so real..." She replied looking around once more to the now peaceful surrounding of Haven.

"But it is not real. You are not really here. You are still there, sleeping."

"So I am not really in the fade?" She rubbed her head, this was getting confusing.

"No...you are in your dream, connected to the fade. It does not matter. You need to remember it correctly to erase the hurt."

"I don't understand what you mean by that, Cole."

"You made them die for you, you made them blame you. That isn't what happened but you are making it happen. You need to stop. Remember correctly and the hurt will go away." Josephine rubbed her temples as the memories of that fateful day flooded her mind. She could hear the screams again begging her for help, feel the heat of the fire ghost over her skin. Cole looked around at the scene, an unreadable expression plastered on his face.

"This is still not correct. You made it wrong again." Josephine looked up to him, her eyes and cheeks wet with recent tears.

"You were there Cole. You know they died...so many people died." She sounded broken, defeated. She buried her head back into her hands, no longer wanting to see the horrible scene unfold in front of her eyes again.

"Yes, they died, but they did not die for you." Her head snapped up to him at these words.

"They protected me! I saw it! I Remember!" He shook his head again and looked at the scene.

"Look again, listen." She shook her head, guilt overwhelming her. She couldn't bear to see this scene again. This gruesome scene that has haunted her dreams since Haven was destroyed.

"You have to look. You have to see the truth." Reluctantly, she lifted her head to see the workers standing in front of them. They were the first to leap to arms against the mages and this Venatori that attacked them.

"Don't change it." Cole warned. "Keep it the same. Listen to the truth." Josephine remained silent, wiping her wet cheeks with the back of her hands. Sucking in a breath, she braced herself for the pain she was about to see.

"Alright men!" One of the workers cried out. She didn't know his name, but remembered that he worked at the forge with Harritt.

"We have to hold the line! We have to do our part for the Inquisition!" The men around him cheered.

"Lady Josephine." Another spoke to her. "You ought to get back. Won't do any good if you die here. The Inquisition needs her leaders."

"Here they come!" another worker cried out as the Venatori encroached on their position. Josephine remained rooted in her spot as she watched the workers clash with the Venatori. They fought with everything they had but fate had another design in mind as a massive dragon flew overhead, belching fire and consuming a handful of workers in the blaze. She felt a hand grab hers and pull her towards the Chantry. Finally snapping out of her stupor, she ran, stopping to help anyone she could along the way. Once secured in the Chantry, Leliana ran to her and engulfed her in a tight hug. Leliana pulled back and searched Josephine's to see if she was injured. Satisfied that she had no life threatening injuries she nodded and ran past her to assist with the retreat. Josephine was left alone again. Everyone running to and fro, trying to help those who needed it.

"They didn't regret it." The sudden voice made her jump. She turned to see Cole leaning on a nearby pillar.

"They died for something they believed in. Not one of them regretted it." She sighed.

"I get what you are saying, Cole. They did not die for me. They died for the Inquisition. But the fact remains is that they are still dead."

"Yes. Dead is dead, gone is gone but you changed it and made it hurt you. It shouldn't hurt you. It should make you proud. They believe just like you believe. They fought, just like you fight. You can't stop. You have to keep going for them." Realization of what Cole was trying to say finally hit her. Selfishly, she had dishonored their deaths, made it seem as if they gave their lives for her when in truth they hadn't. They gave their lives for a cause they believed in. If she quit, she would dishonor their deaths and would fail to bring the peace to the land that they all fought for.

"I-I understand, Cole. I see what you were trying to show me."

"Yes? Good. Does it still hurt?"

"Yes..." She admitted. "But it hurts a little less and I know what I have to do. I won't give up. I won't let them down. I will continue to fight...to bring peace to this land." Cole nodded to her. A voice calling her name drew her attention away from the pale man. It sounded far away but familiar. As the voice became louder, the surrounding area faded away until she was left in darkness.

"Josie? Josie wake up." Josephine's eyes fluttered open to see Leliana kneeling beside her.

"We are about to set out again. According to Solas, we are only a day away from our destination." She paused and stared at her friend.

"Are you okay, Josie?" Josephine sat up stretching her muscles to shake off the last vestiges of sleep. Once done, she returned her gaze to Leliana and nodded her head.

"Yes...I believe I will be."


	21. Dorian and Cullen

Dorian made his way through the newly cleared area of the battlements. Skyhold still needed a lot of work but it was coming along smoothly. Every week, they managed to clear up a new area and Dorian couldn't help but explore. Besides, the library was still a wreck and he needed something to occupy his time.

He came a door left slightly ajar to hear someone muttering incessantly to themselves. Dorian eased up to the door as quietly as he could and tried to listen to what the person was saying.

"I will not use you. I will not go back. They will not hold me! They no longer have a hold on me!" The words were repeated like some sort of mantra. Dorian frowned. He recognized the voice as Commander Cullen and he unfortunately also had an inkling as to what he was referring to.

Back in Minrathous there was a Laetan he struck up an unlikely friendship with. He had to keep the friendship a secret of course due to the shame he would have brought upon his family for consorting with someone of a lower class. That and at this point his father already had suspicions about Dorian's sexual proclivities and he did not want to add any more fuel to that fire. The boy, whose name was Evans, family were previously Soporati. Evans birth changed all that however as he happened to be born a mage. His birth allowed his family to move up to the social class of Laetans, one step away from Dorian's own class, the Altus. While the Imperium did acknowledge the Laetans and allowed them to have seats in the Magisterium, they weren't respected as much as the Altus due to their blood line having no previous magical ability before.

Evans was able to get an apprenticeship with a Magister who was an ally of Dorian's father, Halward. The Magister it seemed, was only interested in Evans as a glorified slave rather than teaching him anything of import. It was at a social gathering which Dorian's father forced him to attend where he met Evans. It was clear that Dorian was not the same as the other mages Evans had met in Tevinter thus far and he confided in him a great many things, one of which was his desire to become a better mage to show Tevinter that Laetan's deserved more respect. Dorian thought it a good idea to shake up the social standings of Tevinter's archaic system and agreed to help Evans in his endeavor. They would meet in secret and Dorian would impart as much knowledge as he could on the eager boy. It turned out to be a profitable arrangement for both of them as Evans had a brilliant mind and the two working together made great strides in their studies. Unfortunately for Evans and Dorian, this arrangement did not last long as Halward had found another Circle to take Dorian in and he was immediately shipped off. After getting kicked out Circle for a strange 'incident' involving a fireball and a magister's son, Dorian decided to look his friend up upon returning home. Unfortunately, Evans was not the same person Dorian remembered when he left and it was all because of a Magister by the name of Danarius.

Danarius was well known for this research and experimentation with lyrium but he had taken his experimentation to the next level. He managed to infuse lyrium beneath the skin of a slave giving him unnatural abilities. Danarius made a show of his achievements, having his 'little wolf' fight a duel in his stead. From the stories Dorian heard, this wolf reached inside of the man's chest and crushed his heart. Seeing the accomplishments of Danarius' experiment spurred his colleagues and enemies alike to try to replicate his success. Of course Danarius had no intention of telling anyone how he accomplished this task so many people were forced to do a lot of guess work. Evans' master was one of these people. He used Evans as a guinea pig succeeding in nothing more than getting the boy addicted to lyrium. Where a once brilliant and promising mind flourished now resided a lyrium addict, a husk of its former self. Seeing the boy to be nothing more than a burden and a failure, the Magister left Evans alone effectively cutting off his lyrium supply and leaving him to deal with his addiction alone. It hurt Dorian to see his brilliant friend reduced to such a state and he did everything he could to help him deal with the lyrium withdrawal.

For awhile, Dorian's efforts to help his friend paid off, but in his desperation to make Dorian into a respectable mage Halward shipped his wayward son off to the Circle in Minrathous. About three months into his stay there, Dorian received word in passing that Evans has committed suicide. Dorian knew that it was due to his inability to handle the pressure of the lyrium withdrawal on his own. Dorian fell into depression upon hearing the news and fled the Circle. He drunk himself into a stupor and wound up in an elven brothel where he was found by Magister Alexius. That was a truly dark time for Dorian and he shudders to think of the type of man he would have become without Magister Alexius' guidance. Magister Alexius, Dorian sighed at the thought of the man he once looked up to. How could he turn his back on everything they believed in and work for the Venatori? It didn't matter...Dorian heard that he was dead now. Such a waste.

So caught in his musings, Dorian didn't notice that his sigh was a bit louder than he intended. Cullen threw open the door to his office, startling the mage. Cullen stared at him, his eyes narrowed in anger and embarrassment at being caught in such a weakened moment.

"What do you want mage?" Cullen asked, his tone harsher than he intended. Dorian took it in stride, understanding the ex-templar's anger.

"My my commander, is that the way to greet a comrade?" Cullen was taken aback by this comment. Dorian was absolutely correct. They were allies in this war and it was unworthy of him to fall back into old prejudices. He sighed and ran a gloved hand across his face.

"You-you are right, Dorian. I apologize. I just..." He paused not wanting to reveal anything in case Dorian did not get a glimpse at his turmoil. "What do you need of me?"

"An apology? I hadn't expected that. Are all Templars in the south as pleasant as you commander?" Cullen sighed, not in the mood for banter, the topic of being a templar currently a sore spot for him, given that it was the catalyst for his current problem.

"I am no longer a templar Dorian and I cannot speak for the others. Now what do you need of me?"

"It's not what I need of you dear commander but what I can do for you." Dorian stated, pushing his way into Cullen's office.

"What are you talking about." Cullen asked a hint of annoyance in his voice as he allowed himself to be pushed out of the way by the cocky mage.

"Let's not pussy-foot around hmm? I heard you."

"You heard what?" Cullen replied, eying him warily. Dorian rolled his eyes. Cullen was truly going to make him spell it out?

"I heard you, chatting to yourself about being controlled. Since there is no one else in here but you and-" Dorian raised his hand towards Cullen, allowing his magic to swell within him then forced it out of the raised hand into burst that pushed Cullen back. There was no true force behind the attack, its purpose was to simply make any possible entity inside of Cullen think it was being attack and manifest itself. Dorian had to make sure what he thought he heard from the commander was truly the ramblings of a lyrium addict. It would have been rather embarrassing if it turned out to be possession instead. Cullen however saw the attack for what it was at face value and drew his sword, ready to attack Dorian if the answer he provided to his question wasn't a good one.

"What do you think you are doing, Dorian!?" Cullen was on edge, this unprovoked attacked coupled with his inner turmoil made for a bad combination.

"I had to be sure." Dorian said, folding his hands across his chest as if he explained everything in those five words.

"Sure of what?" Cullen asked through gritted teeth, trying his best to restrain himself from attacking Dorian before hearing a proper explanation.

"That you weren't possessed." Dorian replied, his tone indicating that it was the most obvious answer and the commander was foolish for even asking it.

"Andraste preserve me! Why would you think I was possessed?!"

"I didn't think you were, I just had to make sure."

"Dorian, I swear if you do not tell me what this is all about right now, I will run you through, throw you off the battlements and tell the Inquisitor you fell."

"Well that's not very nice..." Dorian said. The look on Cullen's face at that comment told Dorian that for self preservation's sake, he should probably just come clean.

"I heard you talking to yourself about, if my guess is right your struggle with Lyrium. You took it as a templar correct? I heard Southern Templars are required to take it. The Templars in Tevinter don't take lyrium. It would be rather silly to arm them with the means to stop all the scary Magisters hmm?" Cullen did not look amused but remained quiet, allowing Dorian to finish his explanation.

"I..." Dorian paused, feeling an almost overwhelming sadness as Evans came to his mind again. "I've seen what lyrium addiction can do to a person. I-I would rather not see it happen to you." Cullen lowered his sword with a frown. His fear had been realized, Dorian overheard everything. He should have double checked that the door was closed. Maker's breath, if this got out.

"It is my burden to carry alone. I would appreciate it if you kept this to yourself." Cullen said, sheathing his sword as he spoke.

"This is not something you can or should work through alone, Cullen." Dorian responded, his face losing the cheeky smirk he normally wore in favor of a more morose one.

"I appreciate your concern-"

"I am not going to take no for an answer, Cullen." Dorian responded, cutting him off. "I failed him and I refuse to fail someone else." Cullen was at a loss for words. He didn't understand why Dorian was so intent in helping him. They had barely spoken two words to each other before today. They didn't have a reason to, but now suddenly this man was offering to help him with one of his most intimate and embarrassing secrets? Why? Because an old friend of his suffered from the same affliction?

"Why?" Cullen blurted out, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"I told you. I saw what it can do to a man...a good man and I refuse to let it happen again in front of me. Not when I can do something about it."

"This friend of yours...what happened to him?" Dorian sighed and looked up to the ceiling remaining silent. Cullen remained quiet, seeing that this was a difficult thing for him talk about.

"My father sent me away to a Circle and my friend was left to fend for himself. The pressure became too much for him and...he killed himself. Better that than deal with the pain of the withdrawal I suppose." Cullen shuddered, he could certainly understand the logic in those words. Maker knows how many times he had considered ending his own life. If it hadn't been for the Inquisition giving him a purpose, he probably would have. No, not just the Inquisition. Recently a new reason had emerged. He didn't want to fail the Inquisitor, no, he didn't want to fail Kira. Even if she didn't know his feelings, even if she didn't return them, he wouldn't allow himself to die. Not while she still had use for him.

"I-I am sorry for your loss. I can see that it still troubles you." Dorian lowered his head to look back at Cullen.

"Thank you, but enough about me, this is about you. I WILL help you commander." His characteristic smirk returned. "I'm afraid I'm rather tenacious once I get my mind set on something. Part of my natural charm you see." Cullen refrained from rolling his eyes.

"Exactly how would you help me? I won't allow you to cast any spells on me. If I am to do this, it will be through my strength alone."

"Of course! No spells required. It's quite simple really. With my friend, his worst times were when he was stressed. The pressures of his family, his status, his career were bearing down on him. It made dealing with the addiction nearly impossible. We devised that the best way to deal with it was to distract him."

"Distract him how?" Cullen asked folding his arms across his chest.

"Well, as he was mage, we would lose ourselves in our studies of all things arcane. I have a feeling that won't work with you however so I suggest a game of chess."

"Chess?" Cullen asked, one brow raised.

"Yes, chess. It will keep your mind focused, relaxed. If you don't know how to play, I can teach you."

"I know how to play."

"Oh? Well aren't you full of surprises." Cullen sighed. At least he was feeling better. He didn't know Dorian well, but from what little he knew of the man, melancholy did not suit him.

"I can't very well stop everything to play chess Dorian. In case you forgot, we are a bit busy with an ancient Tevinter magister and a possible archdemon." Dorian waved a hand dismissively in Cullen's direction.

"Yes, yes. All very important, but so is your health. You cannot work every minute of every day. The stress would get to you, it would drag you down and make fighting the addiction that much harder. Also, I didn't say we needed to play every day. Perhaps twice a week? Just time to give your mind a chance to relax." Cullen sighed again, feeling that he was losing this argument.

"We don't have a board." He stated, knowing the argument was weak. Dorian smiled seeing that he had finally won the commander over.

"Oh don't you worry about that commander. I'm sure our trusty little hairy dwarf could help us out with that." Cullen dropped his hands, defeated.

"Fine. Just do me a favor and please keep the reason for the chess board between us only? It is bad enough that you know, I would rather this not get all over Skyhold. It would impede my ability to lead if the men can't trust that I am of sound mind."

"I wouldn't do that, Commander. Your secret is safe with me." Dorian turned to leave Cullen's office. "I'll let you know when Varric has gotten a chess set for us."

"Dorian." Cullen called out to the mage. Dorian looked over his shoulder, his hand on the door knob. "Thank you." Dorian flashed him a smile, a genuine smile before leaving the room.


	22. Hawke and Varric

A/N: The next bunch of entries will be all about Hawke. I hated that Dragon Age Inquisition didn't really give Hawke a chance to interact with anyone from the Inquisition crew besides Varric so I wanted to give her the spotlight for a little bit. Also, I know in other chapters I mentioned that Hawke was a mage, but I decided to use the same Hawke from my one shot The Bet. So she will be a humorous rogue Hawke named Layla.

Varric paced in front of the gates leading out of Skyhold. He chuckled to himself noting how utterly suspicious he currently looked and tried to relax himself by leaning on the wall next to the gate. He tried to quell the giddy feeling bubbling in his stomach only moderately succeeding in doing so. Damn it, she was the only woman that could do this to him. Not even with Bianca did he remember feeling so apprehensive at seeing her again. He had the most irrational thoughts running through his mind. What if she fell out of love with him? What if she found someone else while they were apart? What if she decided that sexy dwarfs with fantastic chest hair wasn't her thing anymore?

Varric let his head fall backwards slowly till it rested against the wall. He stared up at the sickened sky and frowned. He knew his fears were silly but he couldn't help it. He never fell so hard for anyone else before. The only other person who came remotely close was Bianca. His relationship with Bianca had been a fun one, at least it was in the beginning.

He could remember sneaking off to meet her in her workshop, content to watching her work till the wee hours of the morning absorbed in perfecting another brilliant invention. Sometimes he would try to distract her from her work and she would put up a fight but would eventually submit. That was when things between them were good. Varric noticed that somewhere down the line, Bianca started to change. No, perhaps she truly never changed at all. Perhaps she was always this way and he just didn't want to notice it. His love made him see their relationship through rose colored glasses, forcing him to believe it was better than it truly was. He told he loved her and she replied in kind. He chose to ignore the hesitation as she spoke the words and the trepidation she held in her eyes chalking it up to nerves from telling someone you love them for the first time.

As time passed, he felt her slowly slipping away from him and he panicked. He was afraid to lose the first woman he ever fell in love with. He asked her to marry him and she fought him. She told him that it was too dangerous since her family hated him. He told her he didn't care and that he was willing to throw everything away just to be with her. If he would have only taken the time to see that she purposely avoided eye contact with him when she whispered yes; If he would have paid attention to the way her body stiffened when he pulled her into a hug he would have saved himself so much heartache. He stood in the altar dressed in his best waiting to see his blushing bride. As the sun dipped beneath the horizon, he realized he had been stood up.

In the beginning, it hurt Varric like hell but once the pain ebbed away and he started to see the relationship for what it was, he felt relieved that she actually didn't show up. Granted that relief didn't reveal itself till until the pain that consumed his heart dulled thanks to the copious amounts of alcohol he consumed but relief was there. He loved Bianca but they butted heads on a lot of issues. She revered the Paragons of old and wanted the recognition of the Orzammar dwarves. Varric on the other hand couldn't give a nug's ass about the Paragons or Orzammar. The fights they would have about the topic were always bad. A part of him always knew that Bianca's drive to be accepted by those proper dwarves would cause a rift in their relationship. There was also the tiny detail of her family hating his guts and threatening to start a clan war if he continued to see her. Even if it didn't feel like it at the time, her leaving him stranded at the altar was the best thing she could have ever done for him.

So finally, Varric was starting to pick up the shattered pieces of his heart when in walks Bianca, tears in her eyes as she begged him to forgive her and told her that she still loved him. He wanted to hate her, he wanted to be angry at her but seeing her again had all those feelings rushing back and he couldn't help but forgive her. He even forgave her when she told him that she had married another dwarf. She swore to him that he didn't mean anything to her. That she only married him because he came from a powerful family and his influence would go a long way to getting paragon status. Some other dwarf gets the marriage he wanted and he was stuck being the other dwarf. It was a fucked up relationship, he knew that. It wasn't going to go anywhere and all it did was cause him heart ache every time he had to say good bye to her, knowing she was going to go home her husband while he stayed alone.

Varric had given up on ever meeting and falling in love with anyone else. There wouldn't be a happy ending for him. He would be stuck in a fucked up relationship with a woman married to another guy who would always choose her career over him. He knew that this would be his existence and he coped with it for the most part. That was until he met Layla Hawke. It started off as a simple business arrangement. They both needed something and would work together to get it. What he hadn't expect was how well they would click together. From her sense of humor to her compassionate heart, everything about her melded so well with his own personality. It was as if she were made just for him.

He wrote it off as just a crush at first. He's been with humans before and he knew found them attractive. But as time went by, he knew it was so much more. After being trapped in the deep roads by his bastardly brother, Varric knew what he felt for Hawke wasn't an idle crush. He was too afraid to act on it. Bianca had ruined him. He was afraid of putting his heart on the line only to have it crushed again. Hawke, however, had no such hang ups. They both felt the sexual tension between them and unlike him, she wasn't content to just let it sit idle. It was while she and her mother were waiting for the Viscount to give them back their property in Hightown that she came to him one night under the guise that she wanted to spend the night there because she couldn't take sleeping in that hovel Gamlen called a home. She had spent a few drunken nights in his room before so he thought nothing of it. The minute she got him alone in his suite, she bared her heart to him. Hawke told him that being trapped in the deep roads taught her that life was too short to take for granted and that she refused to die with any regrets. With that she kissed him. It was brief and she pulled back before Varric could even react but Hawke made sure that her message was received loud and clear. They stood there facing each other in an awkward silence. Hawke feared that she made a huge mistake and her brashness had caused her a best friend. Before she could run out of the suite, Varric grabbed her and they kissed as if their lives depended on it.

His relationship with Hawke was everything his relationship with Bianca was not. He didn't have to beg for her attention, she freely gave it. She never hid it from her family or their friends and she always did little things just to let him know that she cared. Despite all this, Varric was afraid to fully commit. The wound from his relationship with Bianca still festered. Hawke being Hawke, she knew that he was afraid. She never pushed him. She only let him know that she was there, by his side always.

Three years into their relationship after that shit storm with the Qunari, Bianca decided to show up once more. Instead of the usual longing he would get when seeing her he felt absolutely nothing. Hawke had managed to repair the damage that Bianca had done. Varric told Bianca that things couldn't go back to the way they were. He moved on and she needed to as well. He promised her that he would still be her friend, but there could never be anything more than that between them. Bianca didn't take this news well. She wanted to have her cake and eat it too but Varric couldn't care less. It wasn't much longer after that Varric told Hawke he loved her. Where Bianca recoiled from his affections, Hawke embraced it fully and returned it with fervor. For weeks straight she couldn't stop smiling. It was infectious and he couldn't help but smile too. It was definitely a new experience watching her hum merrily while she killed slavers or whatever else happened to be in her way that week. Everything was great but then Blondie had to go and fuck it up. Varric groaned at the memory of the possessed apostate he once called friend. It was because of him that this fucking war between mages and templars was pushed over its boiling point. It was because of him that he was dragged to the Inquisition in the first place. It was because of him that he and Hawke were separated for months on end and now he was standing outside next to a gate in the dead of night hoping to see the object of affection while simultaneously wondering if Hawke would break his heart the same way Bianca did so many years ago. If that blonde little shit wasn't already dead, Varric would certainly have put a bolt between his eyes.

"Fucking Blondie.' He grumbled as he opened his eyes to stare at the breach in the sky once more. Varric wanted to keep her away from all this but. he knew that with or without his interference she would have gotten involved eventually. Hell, when he reached out to her, she was looking into a weird situation with the wardens which he also heard from his sources was something, Leliana was looking into. At least if she was with him, he could look out for her, Maker knows she never looked out for herself. She was great about looking out for her friends and family, always ready to lend a helping hand, even if she did it with cheeky comment or two. She always wanted to help people and while having such a huge heart was admirable, it got her into a lot of trouble. She was a magnet for trouble. It stuck to her like flies to shit for lack of a better analogy and if he was being honest with himself, he was the exact same way. How else could you explain why he was currently in Skyhold with the other crazy people the Inquisitor had collected hoping to take down an ancient magister and a fucking Archdemon. Not just any magister mind you, one that they previously killed before. Varric sighed and lifted his head slightly only to let it fall against the wall once more. He didn't know how Corypheus survived and he didn't exactly relish the idea of fighting him again but he knew that he couldn't let something he helped unleash walk free.

"Here I was watching you lost in thought, vainly thinking that your thoughts were on me but it turns out it was for another." A soft voice whispered into his ear making his heart clench. He turned his head in the direction of the voice to see Hawke pulling back from him with a small smile on her face. He smiled back, briefly noting that she was entirely too damn good at sneaking up on him.

"What makes you think it wasn't about you?" He asked flashing her a grin noting the warmth that spread over him at just the sight of her.

"Because I could tell exactly what it was about due to the facial expressions you were making."

"Oh do tell."

"Weeeeell..." She began, leaning on the wall beside him. She brushed her red hair behind her shoulder and stared at him, her eyes dancing with mischief."

"First you looked sad so I thought the dreaded Merchant's Guild had finally caught up with you and sentenced you to a lifetime of paperwork." Varric chuckled and shook his head.

"If that happened, my look would be one of pure terror, not sadness." Hawke snapped her fingers and nodded in agreement.

"Damn that's right...Well then you looked sad because of Bianca." The smile from Varric vanished and he turned to face her, his eyes searching. How had she known? Did he mutter something aloud unintentionally when he was thinking about the past? He swallowed hard, noting how dry his throat suddenly felt.

"W-what do you mean?" Hawke was staring toward Skyhold, taking in the magnificent view of the Inquisition's home base. She didn't see the sudden change in his demeanor.

"You two had a fight and she refused to shoot straight for you. She's fed up that you've been overworking her with the horde of demons falling out of the sky. You know how temperamental she could be." Varric breathed a sigh of relief. Hawke was referring to the crossbow. Shit, that was too close. He never really told her about what went on between he and Bianca. He once told her when they were just friends it was the one story he couldn't tell and she didn't press him on it. For as long as they have been together, he really should come clean but a part of him was afraid of what she might react to the fact that he still kept in touch with the person he almost married.

"That's true, she has been working pretty hard lately. Even harder than when we followed you around Kirkwall and that's saying something."

"In my defense, I never looked for any of that trouble." She said turning her head in time to see him shooting her an incredulous look. "Okay, not all the time." She amended.

"That's better." Varric replied with a laugh.

"If I remember correctly all of you assisted in finding that trouble with me, but I digress." Her face finally shifted to a serious one."Was it about Anders? I heard you mention Blondie."

"In a sense...It was more so about us." Varric watched as a new emotion flickered across her face before she can return it to one of impassiveness. Was that fear? Was she just as afraid as he was?

"What about us?" She asked in a low tone, turning her head up to the breach to avoid looking at him. "That is a really ugly green." She threw in as an afterthought attempting to lighten the mood.

"It is..." He agreed. "Kinda reminds me of the color of vomit we all threw up when Daisy had us all try out her cooking." Hawke laughed at the memory. It was a year after they had met Merrill and she wanted to celebrate the occasion by cooking for them. She walked into the Hanged Man beaming with the questionable dish and told them how she baked it all just for them. Everyone was apprehensive about trying the off-colored meal but Merrill flash them that you kicked my puppy sad face and they all begrudgingly agreed to try the dish. The only one smart enough to not eat it was Fenris who refused to accept anything from the blood mage. It didn't take long for that meal to ravage their bowels. The rest of the night was filled with projectile vomit and much, much worse. To add insult to injury, they had to deal with the smug broody elf telling them I told you so while they emptied their stomachs of the vile food.

"It was sweet of her to try though but Maker that was horrible. I honestly thought to myself that this was it...I wasn't going to die to a crazy mage or a angry templar or a slaver or bandit...I was going to die to adorable little Merrill and her horrible cooking." Varric laughed hard at this. He knew exactly what she meant.

"You want to know what's worse?" He managed through his laughter. "Last time she wrote to me, she told me she had been practicing and couldn't wait to cook for us again." The look of fear on Hawke's face made him laugh even harder. Eventually she joined it, causing a few of the guards that were still patrolling Skyhold to eye them questioningly. When the laughter died down, they settled into a comfortable silence. Hawke looked back down to Varric and began tapping her back heel against the wall. Something Varric knew she always did when she was nervous about something.

"So what was it about us?"

"Well..." He paused for dramatic effect, knowing that Hawke was waiting anxiously for his answer. He couldn't help it, the storyteller in him loved to keep an audience hanging on his every word. "I was thinking that about how you needed to hurry up and get here so I could get you into my bed naked and writhing under me in pleasure." She quirked a brow at him and shook her head no. Varric looked at her questioningly and she spoke before he could ask her what she meant.

"I'm sorry, Varric but no. That won't be happening." Varric stared at her, he felt something constrict around his heart. Was it happening again? Was his love being thrown in his face once more? Hawke's like broke into a sultry smile and she leaned down towards him. She placed her face next to his allowing her cheek to ghost over his, her breath tickling his ear as she spoke. "Because I wanna be on top." Varric exhaled and it took everything he had to not grab her and take her right then and there. She pulled back and he could see the clear need for him in her eyes.

"Whatever you want beautiful. I'll give you top first, but I will have you under me screaming my name before the night is through." He replied in a low husky voice which he knew drove Hawke crazy.

"Promises promises, Varric." Hawke replied, her breathy voice showing how excited she was at the prospect.

"You should know by now, Hawke. I don't make promises I can't keep." He replied, surprising her and himself by pulling her down to him and kissing her hard, letting his need flow through the kiss. When they pulled back from each other, they were breathless. Their faces were flushed and their bodies tingled with desire.

"Your room...now." Varric happily agreed to her demand, leading her to his room so he could show her exactly how much he missed her.


	23. Kira, Hawke and Varric

A/N

Thanks again to all who have been following this series for so long and for marking it as favorite and commenting. I really appreciate it!

Hawke leaned against the battlement wall overlooking Skyhold's courtyard. She had finally been given a reprieve from Kira's questioning regarding Corpheyus. From the moment Varric had introduced them, Kira has been barraging her with questions regarding the ancient magister. Hawke didn't mind, she knew that the Inquisitor needed as much information about him as possible and since she and Varric were the only ones around who knew about him, she was more than happy to give her the information. That said, she hadn't really expected the volley of questions Kira had asked her. One thing she learned about the Inquisitor was that she was extremely thorough. Varric sided up next to Hawke and nudged her. She looked down to him and saw him offering her a bottle he had been previously drinking. Hawke accepted it gratefully and brought it to her lips. She tipped her head back and gulped its contents down, reveling in the sweet taste as it slid down her throat.

"Ahhhhhh...," She said as she licked the excess liquid from her lips. She grinned noting how Varric followed her tongue's movement as it glided over her lips. She winked at him before looking at the Inquisitor.

"Well, Inquisitor. That was quite the inquisition." She paused, trying to hold back the giggle that was threatening to bubble out of her. "You are very..." She paused again, making a odd noise as she struggled to hold back the laughter that partially slipped out. "You are very inquisitive." As soon as she uttered the last word she lost it. Hawke let her laughter flow freely, increasing its intensity once she caught the confused expression on Kira's face and the pained expression on Varric's. She doubled over and held her side, laughing for a long while. 

"That's was...awful," Kira said after the shock wore off.

"I know!" Hawke confirmed, wiping away the tears that gathered in the corner of her eyes.

"I can't believe you actually did it. That was so horrible it was worth it," Varric said digging into his pocket and pulling out a silver piece. He flicked it at her and Hawke caught it easily.

"Come now, Varric. You should know by now I have very little shame. It was the easiest silver I've ever made," She said as she played with the silver coin, letting it flip from finger to finger.

"Enjoy it while you can, Hawke. I'll just win it back off of you when we play Wicked Grace," Varric says with a smirk as he took the now empty bottle from her hands. Hawke arched a brow at him.

"I'll have you know, Messere I have been practicing since we last saw each other. You won't find me such an easy mark this time," Varric grinned at Hawke's words.

"Hawke, you wound me. I never found you to be an easy mark. Blondie, Sunshine and Daisy were easily worse than you were." Hawke laughed.

"Yeah they were pretty terrible. I wonder if it has something to do with-" She cut herself off and looked towards Kira. A mischievous smile spread across her face.

"Kira, you are a mage right?" Kira nodded, feeling more than a bit wary at the suspicious glint in Hawke's eye.

"Aaaaah," She clapped her hands together. "We should play some Wicked Grace sometime! It'll be great fun! Team building experience too so feel free to invite all of your comrades as well! Trust me. Fenris wasn't nearly as broody when we played, Anders wasn't quite so...avenge-y and Merrill totally forgot about blood magic and her obviously evil mirror," Kira couldn't help but let out a little chuckle. Hawke was certainly quite the character.

"I'll consider it if you would do something for me," Hawke rose a brow at this.

"You mean something other than assist you with fighting Corpheyus and finding out where those pesky Wardens snuck off too and lending you my very special dwarf for use to fight demons falling from the sky?" Kira blinked, when she put it like that, it did seem as if she was giving a lot. It did feel a bit wrong to ask her for anything more.

"Wait a minute. You are _lending_ me to the Inquisition?" Varric scoffed. "Since when?"

"Oh, Varric." Hawke leaned down and ran her hands down the side of his face slowly before squishing his cheeks forward and making his lips stick out, giving him a look that resembled a pucker fish. "You're my dwarf and you know it. The fact that I haven't busted you out of here means you are on loan." Varric removed her hands from his face and shot her a mock glare.

"I'm sure the Inquisition appreciates your sacrifice," Varric says with a smirk.

"They better," Hawke replies and her eyes move towards Kira. "And you better ensure that nothing happens to that dwarf or I swear nothing short of death will stop me from making every single one of you pay," Kira noted the sudden shift in Hawke's disposition. There was no levity in her eyes or in her tone. She meant every word. Varric looked up to Hawke, his eyes softening at her words. He knew this was hard for her. She was afraid for him. Even though he was more than capable of taking care of himself, this wasn't exactly a normal situation. It was very likely that before this was over, his luck would run out and he would die here. Shit he wasn't sure how he survived all that they did in Kirkwall. It was the exact reason why he did not want her here. He would give anything to ensure that she was safe from harm's way but with the whole world going to shit, that wasn't something he could do by sitting at home which is why he was here with the Inquisition now.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily, Hawke. Don't worry." Hawke looked to Varric, the fear she had of losing him was laid bare in her eyes. He hated that look. Hawke was one of the strongest women he knew but there were times when she was unsure of herself. When she allowed her failures to weigh down and suffocate her.

The first time he saw that look was when Bethany had been taken to the Circle. Hawke blamed herself for leaving her at home to the mercy of the Templars. Varric tried to tell her it wasn't her fault, but she didn't believe it. It didn't help that her mother constantly blamed her for Bethany being taken away and the death of her brother, Carver. It took awhile for Hawke to reconcile with the loss of her sister but she was a survivor. She swore to do better by her family and to ensure that nothing more would happen to them.

Unfortunately, despite her due diligence, Hawke couldn't be at every place at once. Kirkwall and her friends got very demanding of her time and even though she tried to keep an eye on things at home and on Bethany in the Circle, things slipped by. Her mother, Leandra was a casualty of this. She was butchered by a crazy mage who wanted to bring back his dead wife. The pain that he saw in her eyes that day and the days after broke his heart especially since there wasn't anything he could do to take it away. Since he first met her, he had never seen her so devoid of life as he had on that day. He wasn't sure if she was ever going to recover from that blow. For a long while, it looked like she wasn't. He saw her slip into a spiral of despair. This strong pillar slowly began to crumble and she was content to allow herself to be buried the darkness of depression. He did the only thing he could think of and remained at her side letting her know that she still had him and he would be with her always. Somehow, against all odds, she did pull herself from the depths of anguish and fought back. He admired her so much for that. The will she had to fight on even though things went to hell. He always wondered if he would have the strength to do the same if he was in her shoes. It was just another thing about her that made him fall madly in love with Layla Hawke.

Now to see that look again in her eyes, even just a hint of it unnerved him. She was truly sacred of losing him and even though he knew how much they meant to each other, at that moment he was able to see the true depths of her love for him and it floored him. He wanted nothing more than to run away with her. To say fuck the Inquisition and to find some place to hide until this entire thing blows over. Stay wrapped in each others' arms as the world burned around him. He couldn't do it, however, and he knew she wouldn't want him to. For them to truly be safe, for them to have a life together, they were both needed here. Varric let out a breath and frowned as continued to stare into her eyes. He wanted desperately to pull her into his arms and kiss her with all of his being to somehow convince her that he would be okay even if he truly could not promise it. He was vaguely aware that the Inquisitor was still there so he remained rooted in his spot, hoping that his feelings would be conveyed in his gaze.

It seemed to work because her eyes soften and her mouth tugged up into a half smile. "Well things got a bit heavy there for a moment," She said in a low voice. "My apologies, Inquisitor. You wanted something from me?"

Kira had been watching the exchange between the two in silence. The bond between them was a staunch one. She knew that Hawke words wasn't a threat, it was a promise of vengeance should anything happen to Varric. She wish she could give Hawke some sort of assurance that nothing would happen to her friend, but she couldn't. She couldn't do that for any of the people in the Inquisition. They had already lost so many and they knew before this was through, they would lose more. Part of her wonders if after these events, if any of them survived if she would have a friendship with someone as close as Hawke and Varric's? Hawke speaking stirred her from her musings. She cleared her throat and responded.

"Um, yes. It isn't anything big. I was just wondering if I could ask you some questions about your time in Kirkwall. I'm not exactly sure how much to believe from the 'Tale of the Champion'." Hawke let out a groan and she made a face. Varric chuckled and headed over to the makeshift table he had set up and grabbed another bottle.

"Again, I am wounded by you women and your harsh words. Tell me, Inquisitor. Do you think I lied?" Varric asked as he walked back to the pair uncorking the fresh bottle.

"Lie? Not exactly. Embellished? Definitely," Varric chuckled and brought the bottle to his lips, tilting his head back, he downed a considerable amount of the liquid. Hawke watched as his throat bobbed when he swallowed. How was it possible that everything this man did managed to turn her on? While chatting with the Inquisitor was fun, she was ready to end it and drag Varric back to bed.

"Right," Hawke replied forcibly tearing her eyes away from her Dwarf. "Hit me. But you better make sure to bring a lot of coin with you when we play Wicked Grace."

"Don't worry, I promise I will," Kira responded with a smile. "I wanted to ask you about Anders." Varric pulled the bottle from his lips and looked at Kira then to Layla and instinctively handed her the bottle. Layla took the bottle appreciatively and immediately took several large gulps. She wanted to make sure she had a good buzz before she answered any of these damn questions. Layla gestured for Kira to continue. She did so, noting the change in Hawke's demeanor at the mere mention of the man.

"You truly didn't know what he was planning to do? I mean, he never gave off any clue that he was going to do something so..." Kira trailed off not really sure how to word it.

"Extreme? Stupid? Bat-shit insane? Counter intuitive to everything he claimed to want for the mages? Take your pick." Hawke supplied and Kira nodded her head. Any one of those would fit.

"To answer your question, no. I did not think he would do something that horrible. It wasn't exactly like he was wearing a 'FYI I am going to blow up the Chantry sign.' Actually, I kind of wish he did, would have made things a lot easier for me,"

"But according to 'Tales of the Champion', he never hid his distaste for Templars. He seemed to always be a bit manic regarding them. You really never had a clue that he would do SOMETHING bad?" Hawke's eyes took on a hard edge as they narrowed at the Inquisitor. She pushed off the wall she had been leaning against and fully faced her, crossing her arms just below her chest.

"It sounds to me, Inquisitor, that you are trying to blame me for Anders actions."

"No. I didn't mean it like that. I just meant how could you have not noticed anything?"

"I did notice something. I noticed that he was obsessed with the Templars and had a great dislike of them, but in Kirkwall what mage didn't? Ask any of the mages in the gallows what they thought of Templars and they would tell you the same thing. They hated them. I wasn't exactly a fan either seeing as how my father and sister were mages as well and we spent the better part of my life avoiding them. He had a dislike for them sure, but it wasn't anything violent. Everyone of my friends was a bit off to be honest. Should I have distrusted them as well? Just a reminder, I was friends with a Blood Mage, A surly elf who could quite literally rip your heart out of your chest and had a particular dislike for mages and slavers, a notorious liar and a thief, a Chantry boy who's obsession with the Maker was frankly a bit disturbing. Honestly the most normal of the bunch was myself, Aveline and Varric. Varric barely making the cut because of his crossbow fetish," Varric rolled his eyes at that comment but chose to not respond.

"It wasn't as if I was totally oblivious you know," Hawke continued. "When he asked me to help him with a potion or ritual or whatever to separate him from Justice, I smelled bullshit right away. I asked him to come clean and he all but ripped my head off for not supporting mages. I even told Cullen to have his Templars keep an eye out for Anders because he was starting to scare even me. I knew I couldn't reign him in anymore. Tell me, Inquisitor, did you ask Cullen how one mage managed to sneak by all of Kirkwall's Templars and worm his way into the Chantry to blow it up or am I the only one special enough to get this scrutiny?"

Kira frowned. It did seem like she was blaming Hawke for Anders' actions. She was sure she had gotten more than enough of this from other people. "I'm sorry, Hawke. It's just...I guess I needed answers. My whole life was shaken by the actions of one man and I am just having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that no one could have stopped him. That none of this could have been avoided. Yes the issue between mages and templars were always bad but it was what happened in Kirkwall that sent things over the edge. My life was essentially ruined by that bastard and I guess I just wanted someone to blame. Anders is dead so you were the next best thing. It was wrong of me. I am sorry." Hawke sighed and dropped her arms.

"Anders' actions didn't only ruin your life and the lives of other mages Inquisitor. He fucked everyone over. I had a good life in Kirkwall," She turned her head to look at Varric who was frowning. He knew what she meant. Life wasn't perfect sure, but it was a hell of a lot better than now before Blondie fucked it up. "And because of him, I have no idea if I will be able to go back to the way things were and that scares me more than anything." Varric took her hand in his and stroked her knuckles with his calloused thumb. She let out a shaky breath and reigned her emotions in.

"I think you lucked out better than most of us, Inquisitor. You got this lovely castle. I never got a castle," Hawke said with a pout. Varric chuckled letting her hand go.

"Your house in Hightown wasn't anything to sneeze at, Hawke," He replied.

"Pfft. It's not a castle. Do you see this place?" She questioned while waving her now free hand towards the main edifice that stood proudly before them.

"Yes and all I had to do was almost die and get this lovely weird glowing anchor on my hand that Corpheyous wants to kill me for. I am so very lucky," Kira replied with a lopsided smile. Hawke laughed.

"Okay, that part kinda sucks but everything else?" Kira grinned and nodded. It would be a lie for her to say that everything was bad in her life currently. She definitely had made out better than most. Yes she lost someone that was life a mother to her and yes she lost the peace she had become so accustomed to in favor of dragons, demons falling from the sky and a Tevinter magister that wants her dead, but she gained a close group of friends, a pretty bad ass castle and possibly someone she could love when this is all over, provided they didn't die that is.

"I truly am sorry, Hawke. You came to help and I wound up blaming you for something you had no control over. I didn't mean to turn you into a punching bag for my problems. I am sure you have gotten that more than enough." Hawke waved her hand in dismissal.

"Don't worry about it. I am tougher than I look. Besides, I am not entirely blameless. I should have gutted him the moment he said I have a spirit living in me but I gave him the benefit of the doubt. I honestly thought he could handle it. I should have paid more attention to the times he would freak out and glow blue but by that time, I considered him a friend and I didn't want to believe he was losing himself."

"Was it hard? To kill him I mean. I couldn't imagine doing that to any of the people I have gathered here. I am close to all of them," Hawke frowned.

"I hope you never have to go through that, Kira. It was one of the worst feelings I had the misfortune of enduring. But I couldn't just let him walk away. The Grand Cleric Elthina, she was a good sort and didn't deserve to die the way she did. Neither did the other people in the Chantry for that matter. For your sake, I hope that everyone on this team is in it for the right reasons and if they aren't, I pray to the Maker that you have the strength to stop them," Kira frowned and nodded. She didn't want to believe that anyone on her team was a traitor. She trusted each and every one of them with her life but so had Hawke and look what happened to her.

"Oh look, there's Cullen," Hawke said, cutting into Kira's thoughts. Kira moved a little too excitedly to the wall to see Cullen making his way across the courtyard. She smiled as she watched the man take powerful, purposeful strides towards his destination. She let out a small sigh feeling every bit the love-struck woman as she was acting. Hawke's eye rose at this display. It was as if Kira had forgotten they were there. She looked to Varric who nodded in confirmation to her unspoken question with a huge grin on his face. Hawke developed a grin across her face that mirrored his own.

"My the commander certainly is handsome isn't he?" Hawke asked conversationally. Kira nodded absentmindedly.

"So, you two do it yet?" This snapped Kira out of her trance. She whipped her head towards Hawke, her eyes wide.

"W-what?" Hawke grinned at the suddenly bashfulness of the Inquisitor.

"I take that as a no then," At that moment, Kira wanted to find a hole and crawl into it. She felt so embarrassed that she had been busted red handed. Her infatuation with Cullen was getting bad. Whenever she saw him the most inappropriate thoughts would get into her head. She could barely concentrate on meetings. She would have to pretend he wasn't in the room and focus completely on Josephine and Leliana. She had it bad, she knew that but what could she do? It didn't seem as if he liked her as anything more than a friend. For awhile it did seem like there was something there, but then he pulled back and she felt too afraid to put herself out there any further. She was afraid of getting rejected so she resolved to suffer in silence.

"Cullen and I are just colleagues. Working together towards a common goal," She mentally winced noting how utterly unbelievable she sounded to her own ears.

"I'm sorry, did you really expect us to believe that?" Hawke asked flashing her an incredulous smile. Kira frowned and mumbled.

"No."

"Right, so why haven't you two gotten together yet?"

"It's not that simple, right?"

"You're asking me?"

"Kinda?" Kira groaned and leaned over the wall and buried her head in her hands.

"I don't think he likes me the way I like him."

"Ha, that's bullshit. Curly likes you alright. He just needs a push," Varric cut in. Kira removed her hands from her face and turned to look at Varric.

"Really?"

"Really." He said with a smile. Kira returned it. That was a weight lifted off her of her chest.

"Even so, I am not sure what to do with this information. I am not exactly experienced in that area and besides I'm a mage." Hawke smiled. Kira reminded her of Bethany in her innocence. They even shared the same self consciousness that no one will love them because they were mages.

"You just tell him. Ask him if there could be anything between you. No games, no bullshit. And what does being a mage have to do with anything?"

"It has everything to do with it. He has a bad history with mages. How can he see me as anything but a mage?"

"Varric already told you he likes you right? I don't think your being a mage bothers him as much as you think."

"But-"

"Don't," Hawke cut her off. "Don't doubt yourself or put yourself down because of what you were born as. My sister was the exact same way. I will tell you exactly what I told her. Some people have the ability to look past the outside and see the person who is within. Give them a chance."

"Your sister? Bethany? She was in a situation like this?" Hawke nodded.

"She was madly in love with Sebastian," Varric snorted and Hawke gave a playful smack to his shoulder. "She was pining for him in the worst way but she was too afraid of doing anything about it even though Sebastian would flirt with her every time they were within two feet of each other. It was painful to watch honestly. I told her to take a chance and tell him how she felt and let the chips lie where they may. The worst that could happen is he rejects her, but if he did, she would be able to let him go and move on with her life. If he did like her then they would be able to do something about it instead of wasting time dancing around each other,"

Kira thought on Hawke's words in silence. What she said made sense and to be honest she wasn't sure how much longer she could go on like this. If Cullen didn't like her, it would hurt like hell but at least she would be able to move on with her life and stop being such a love sick fool around him.

"Thank you, Hawke. You've given me a lot to think about."

"No problem, Inquisitor. I only ask for one thing in return."

"What's that?"

"Name your first child Layla if it is a girl okay?" Kira's eyes widened at the request, not expecting it. Hawke just laughed and began to head off with Varric. She looked over her shoulder and called back to Kira.

"Don't forget that game of Wicked Grace before I leave, Inquisitor," With those parting words, she and Varric walked away leaving Kira alone to make a decision on when she would tell Cullen how she felt.


	24. Hawke, Varric and Leliana

A loud rapping against his bedroom door stirred Varric from his slumber. Groggily he looked down to the nude redheaded woman curled up beside him sleeping soundly. A smile ghosted his lips as he ran a finger through her hair and down the side of her cheek. If he stayed quiet, whoever knocked would just go away. He didn't feel like getting up. He settled in next to her, wrapping an arm round her waist and closed his eyes. His moment of peace was short lived as the knocking came once more, this time more insistent. It was Layla's turn to stir from her slumber. She stretched, working the sleep from her tired muscles. She twisted her body in Varric's arms and was greeted with by the sight of Varric's closed eyes.

"Are you pretending to be asleep so you don't have to get the door?" He cracked one eye open.

"How did you know I wasn't asleep?"

"You snore."

Varric opened both eyes and gave her a look of feigned shock.

"I do not snore."

"Oh yes you do. If it wasn't for you wearing me out at night I wouldn't get any sleep at all with the noise you make."

He snorted.

"I'm sure I do not snore nearly as loud as you do."

"Excuse me? I do not snore, dwarf."

"You do though, especially when you are drunk."

"Bethany has never told me that I snore."

"What about your brother?"

"Well, yeah he said it but that was because he hated me. His opinion doesn't count."

The door to Varric's bedroom swung open startling its occupants.

"Did you intend to leave me out there all morning?" Leliana asked as she entered the room. She took in the sight of Hawke and Varric nude in each other's arms and quickly closed the door behind her.

"Oh! My apologies. I didn't realize you two were busy."

"The fact that we didn't open the door didn't tip you off?" Varric asked, the irritation plain in his voice as he pulled up the covers around Hawke to preserve her modesty.

"I may be wrong in this but aren't you suppose to be on the other end of the closed door, Sister Nightingale?" Hawke asked with a raised brow.

"Normally, but I need to ask you a few questions and you are a hard woman to pin down...well a hard woman for me to pin down anyway," She said with a sly smirk.

"Well, you got me. Can we save the interrogation for after I'm dressed though?"

"Actually, I think it is better this way. I know you won't run away."

"Wait a minute. How the hell did you pick that lock? Those are custom locks that I had ordered," Varric interrupted. Leliana let out a small chuckle.

"Please. You do know who I am, yes?" Varric muttered under his breath something about the shoddiness of craftsmanship these days as Leliana made herself comfortable, taking a seat in one of the chairs in Varric's room. Resigned to the fate of a nude interrogation, Hawke adjusted herself so that her back was against the headboard and the covers were pulled up securely around her.

"Is everyone in the Inquisition so inquisitive? Will I have to answer questions from everyone in this place?"

"Not everyone, but probably most people. You played an important role in shaping the events that we are currently dealing with today as you well know."

"I was not a willing participant, I assure you."

"The fact still remains that you did play a role and people are trying to make sense of everything. They will need questions answered and you can answer a lot of those questions."

Hawke sighed and ran a hand through her mussed hair.

"I should have stayed hidden."

"Not your style," Varric said with a small smile.

"Yeah, well my style is a pain in the ass."

"Do you mind if we get on with the questioning? As adorable as this all is, I would rather not be in here longer than necessary," Leliana interjected.

"Feel free to leave at any time, Nightingale," Varric said brusquely. Leliana ignored him, focusing her attention on Hawke.

"How long have you been together?"

"Our love life is a matter of grave importance suddenly?" Varric quipped. Leliana looked to Varric once more, her lips pressed tightly together before she parted them to speak.

"I am merely curious. Indulge me?"

"About five and a half years." Hawke replied, rubbing the sleep from one of her eyes. She just wanted this over with. Varric looked at Hawke with surprised eyes. Had it truly been that long? It certainly didn't feel that long. He guessed the old adage time flies when you're having fun has a ring of truth to it. Hawke could feel Varric's eye's on her. She tilted her head to him in question and Varric shook his head indicating that it was nothing. Hawke stared at him for a few moments before shrugging and turning her attention back to Leliana. Leliana watched the exchange with interest before continuing.

"I see...so not very long after you arrived in Kirkwall. Being with someone that long-Even with the stakes as high as they were, I can understand why you lied to protect her, Varric when Cassandra originally came to you."

"Yeah well, that hardly matters now as she is here now...being interrogated...by you...while we are as naked as the day we were born."

"Oh believe me, this is uncomfortable for me as well, but it is a necessary evil." Leliana replied with a smile.

"Funny, you don't look very uncomfortable."

"That's true," Hawke chimed in. "Perhaps you should get naked too then we can all be equally embarrassed together."

"That's not what I meant," Varric replied flatly.

"I'll have to pass on that," Leliana answered with a laugh.

"Lady Nightingale is a prude? That certainly contradicts the stories I have heard."

Leliana arched a brow.

"You cannot believe everything you hear, Hawke. Besides, I am not a prude. I am only refusing your suggestion because it would take longer for me to get undressed than it actually would be for me to finish asking you these questions. That is if Varric would stop interrupting me."

Varric rolled his eyes but said nothing futher.

"Exactly how is the length of time we were together relevant to you, Sister Leliana?" Hawke asked.

"It actually has to do with Varric. The fact that he hid your whereabouts from us is not something that I can easily ignore. We needed answers and he willingly withheld that information from us. When I thought the two of you were merely friends, I found Varric's silence to be unacceptable. Walking in on you two as I did however, well it put things into a different perspective. I can now understand why he did what he did. I cannot say that I would not have done the same in my shoes were it me. For that reason, I will look past the fact that he did not tell us where you were and possibly could have caused the Inquisition a great deal of trouble."

Varric's face shifted into a frown. He opened his mouth to speak but stopped when he felt Hawke's hand squeeze his leg underneath the covers.

"He has helped the Inquisition since he has joined. Surely that is more than enough to absolve him of any past wrong doings. Also, I am here now and I am willingly answering all of your questions and helping in any way that I can. This should be more than enough to satisfy the Inquisition."

"Not everyone will see it that way. Cassandra for one will not. A lot of people lost their lives at the Conclave. How many of those lives could have possibly been saved if you were there when we needed you? We will never know the answer to those questions because, Varric thought it best to make the decision to hide your whereabouts."

"That's bullshit!" Varric exclaimed angrily. "There is also the possibility that Hawke would have died there. Did you guys factor that in? She already gave more than enough in Kirkwall. She lost damn near everything and it still wasn't enough, they needed her to be Viscount too. She is always constantly fixing other people's problems. When does she get a break?" Hawke's eyes widened at Varric's display. It was rare to see him so angry. He was always the picture of calm and in the years she had known him, she could count on her hand the amount of time she has seen him blow up like this.

"Varric...love...It's okay."

"No, it's not okay, Hawke because here you are again, dragged into the center of yet another shit storm and this time it's my fault."

Hawke laid her head against his shoulder and squeezed his hand beneath the covers.

"I dragged myself into this, Varric. I am amazing at getting myself into trouble if you remember correctly. Me being here is not your fault. I chose this, just like you chose this. Don't blame yourself...blame me. Or you can blame Corypheus, either one is fine.

Varric's gave a lopsided smile and kissed the top of her head. "I'll blame Corypheus. I already hate him so it works out."

Leliana smiled at the display. It was clear to see they truly cared for each other. She reluctantly cleared her throat. She hated to break up the tender moment but it was making her feel a bit uncomfortable as she had made herself the third wheel.

"As I said, Varric. I understand your point of view and I agree with it. If I had someone I loved the way you love Hawke, I would have probably done the exact same. I was merely alerting you to how others may see it. As far as I am concerned, your actions are justifiable."

Varric blew out a tired sigh.

"Thanks, Nightingale."

"Cassandra will most likely not be as quick to absolve you, be prepared for that."

Varric snorted at the comment.

"She already hates me, her hating me more won't kill me."

"She may kill you, however," Leliana pointed out.

"Fair point," Varric replied.

"Any further questions, Sister Leliana?" Hawke asked, cutting in.

"Yes. There was an elven Qunari that you encountered while in Kirkwall-"

"Tallis, yeah."

"Do you have any clue where she is at the moment?

"Not a clue. I'm a bit thankful for that actually."

"Why?"

"More trouble than she was worth, quite honestly."

"That's unfortunate. While we do have The Iron Bull with us, I thought it would have been beneficial to have someone else within the Qunari that would possibly persuade them to join our cause. They have remained relatively distant thus far."

"I think that is actually a good thing. They'll get all preachy and start complaining about how dysfunctional all us non-Qunari are and it'll get messy. Trust me. Didn't work out so well in Kirkwall."

"Perhaps. I just like to have multiple options available to us. There is no definite that we can beat Corypheus with the force we have just now. If Corypheus does control an Archdemon and there is another blight..."

Leliana sighed.

"I remember the first one quite well. It took the entirety of Fereldan to combat it. We do not have that many with us now. The Inquisitor is working hard to bolster our numbers but as it stands, we do not have enough."

"But if we can get the wardens and Orlais to join-"

"That is IF we can get them," Leliana replied, interrupting Varric. "There is no guarantee that we will be able to. I just like having multiple options available to us."

"I still say that the Qunari aren't the best choice for allies."

"Soon we may not have the option of being picky."

"One more question, if you will indulge me. Your former allies. They were all rather formidable people. Is it possible-"

"No," Hawke replied before Leliana could complete her question.

"Hawke, surely you would agree that the situation is dire enough that we need as many strong people on our side as possible."

"Well that's too bad. I'm fine with throwing myself in the fire but I will not drag my friends down with me. Believe me, if there was a way I could keep Varric out of this I would."

"Pfft, like I would let you have all the fun. We're a team Hawke. And don't you forget it."

Hawke flashed Varric a grateful smile.

"My friends are not a part of this. They fought long enough and have their own lives to deal with. If I find out that you and your people dragged them into this, I will walk."

"Same goes for me," Varric added.

Leliana sighed and nodded her head.

"Very well."

She stood and headed to the door.

"Thank you for graciously answering my questions. Do not worry, I will keep the details of your relationship to myself as it seems not many at Skyhold are actually aware that you are together. I will leave the decision to or not to tell them up to you."

"Appreciated, Nightingale," Varric replied.

They watched Leliana slip out of the room, closing the door behind her.

"Well that certainly was...something. I can now honestly say that I was interrogated while naked."

"Another weird accomplishment in the life that is, Layla Hawke," said Varric with a grin. "Only weird shit like this happens to you."

"I'm special like that."

"Yeah, special. That's certainly one way to look at it. Some may use the word cursed, but I digress."

Hawke gave a light smack to his chest before laying her head on his shoulder and running her hand through his chest hair.

"We have to get up now don't we?" Varric couldn't see her face from where his head was currently angled, but he could imagine the pout that she was probably sporting at this moment. He ran his hand through her red tresses and smiled.

"Oh I think we afford to lay here for a bit longer."

"Good," She said with a yawn. The hand combing through his chest hair slowed and eventually completely stilled. Varric could tell from her even breathing that she had slipped back into slumber. He took a moment to breathe in the scent of her hair before plopping a soft kiss on the top of her head. He closed his eyes and allow sleep to take him once more, enjoying this brief moment of peace for just awhile longer.


	25. Cullen, Hawke and Varric

"Oooooh Cuuuuuuulleeeeeen" Came a sing-song voice just beyond his closed door. He didn't need to see the person to know who it was. He fixed his face to a frown but inwardly, he was smiling. It had been quite some time since he heard the upbeat greeting and the familiarity gave him a warm feeling of nostalgia.

After the events with Meredith, Hawke had become Viscount and Cullen took over the reigns of the fragmented shell that was left of the Circle and Templar order in Kirkwall. With him leading the Templar order, Aveline leading the guards, Varric working his magic behind the scenes and Hawke assuaging the nobles' fears and putting out the daily fires, they were able to restore some semblance of peace to Kirkwall.

During Hawke's tenure as Viscount, the first thing she got rid of was the autonomous way each section worked. She made both Aveline and Cullen join her for weekly meetings to discuss any issues and work out solutions to lingering problems. During this time, Cullen got to know both Aveline and Hawke fairly well. He wouldn't exactly say that it was a friendship but Hawke certainly would and she relentlessly bugged him to open up more to her, much to his chagrin. He knew she meant no harm and if he were to be honest with himself, over time he did gain a soft spot for her. She was a good person and had a good heart even though that did come coupled with her smart mouth.

His door swung open to reveal a brightly smiling Hawke who walked into his office with her hands behind her back and Varric pulling up the rear.

"What trouble are you bringing me now, Hawke?" Cullen asked as he eyed her.

Hawke gave him a mock pout.

"Cullen, you wound me. I am just here to visit an old friend," She replied as her face shifted back into a smile that looked rather mischievous to Cullen. He gave a snort, clearly showing his disbelief. Varric chuckled at the two of them but remained quiet.

"Honest, I just came to visit a friend. I even come bearing gifts," She said as she extracted the item she had been holding behind her back and held it out towards him.

Cullen eyed the ceramic jar that she held within her hands warily as if he half expected something to burst out of it.

"What is it?" Hawke gave a huff and placed the jar down onto his desk.

"It's more cream for your hair. It's looking great by the way," She replied with a smirk.

He studied her for a few moments before removing the lid from the jar and peering in, seeing the thick white cream. He replaced the lid and offered Hawke a small smile.

"That was very kind of you. I was actually running a bit low."

"You could've just asked me, Curly," Varric spoke up.

Cullen shrugged.

"We had other concerns. It wasn't a pressing issue," He replied.

"Oh? I thought the fear of letting the Inquisitor see your hair in all its curly glory would have made it a priority," Varric said with a grin. Cullen could feel his face heating up at the mere mention of the woman whom has captured his heart.

"I-I have no idea why you think I would care if she saw it or not," He replied lamely. He could see the grin Hawke had been sporting grow impossibly wider and the realization finally dawned on him why they were really here. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck feeling suddenly tired. He could very easily remember how the two would gang up on him when they were in Kirkwall.

"So," Hawke began, drawing out the 'o' in the word unnecessarily long. "I was right that a new hairstyle would get you laid huh? Look at you! Landing yourself an Inquisitor. You aim high my friend."

Cullen scoffed. He refused to give Hawke any credit for the budding relationship he had with Kira. This was something that they found and were nurturing together.

"My hair had nothing to do with it—" He paused as he had realized that he had just willingly admitted that there was something going on between them.

"I mean uh if there was something going on between Kir-I mean the Inquisitor and I, which there isn't! But if there was-Maker-you aren't buying this are you?"

"Nope," Varric and Hawke responded simultaneously, both of them now had toothy grins plastered on their faces. Their glee at his torment served only to annoy him.

"There has to be something more important you need to be doing," Cullen muttered.

"Nope, your Lady Inquisitor said she wanted to visit the Hinterlands and finish up some lingering issues before she tackled Crestwood and met with my friend in the Wardens," Hawke replied.

"So there is absolutely nothing keeping us from catching up with you, Curly," Varric added.

"Well I am busy. So if you'll excuse me," Cullen said lowing his head to the stack of reports on his desk.

"Still working too hard. Tsk Tsk, Cullen. Didn't anything I teach you in Kirkwall stick?" Hawke asked as she sat atop Cullen's desk. Cullen sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose with his gloved hand. How did he actually miss this?

"So, Inquiring minds want to know, how is our lady Inquisitor in bed?" Hawke asked with a lecherous grin that reminded him of that loose pirate Isabela that he was sure bedded half of Kirkwall.

"Honestly, Hawke. Must you be so vulgar? Do you honestly think I would tell you about something like that? And get off of my desk," Cullen replied in a hard tone.

"So haven't done the deed yet eh?" Hawke responded, completely ignoring Cullen's irritation and request.

"That tone screams sexual frustration if I ever heard it," Varric remarked. "Perhaps we should give him pointers? He's been in the Chantry for a long time. Maybe he forgot what to do-If he actually ever learned that is."

"I know precisely what to do!" Cullen growled out. "Why are you two so interested in my love life anyway? Shouldn't you be more concerned with your own?"

"Why, whatever do you mean?" Hawke asked in a sweet tone.

"I mean as long as I have known you two, I have never seen you with anyone. Yet you are always poking your nose in others' business in some hare-brained match making scheme," Cullen responded, folding his arms across his chest happy to turn the attention from himself.

"I'll have you know our hare-brained schemes as you call it has had many satisfied customers. Just ask Aveline. She is still happily married thank you very much,"

"There's also Corff, Lirene and Brennan," Varric added, ticking off each name on his calloused fingers. "All currently happily paired off."

"There you go!" Hawke chirped as she clapped her hands together. "And we can do the same to you if you would just stop acting like such a prude."

"You are still avoiding my question," Cullen pressed trying desperately to keep this topic off of his love life. "If you two are so amazing at finding love, why haven't the two of you found someone for yourselves? Unless the rumors are true that you really do have an unnatural relationship with your crossbow, Varric then I would guess you wouldn't count. That said, it still leaves Hawke who has been alone for probably just about as long as I have."

"Maker! The Commander made a joke! I would ask if the sky is falling but we already know it is. What other calamities are there? Ground swallowing us up?" Hawke lifted her feet into the air and looked to the ground as if she fully expected it to open up and swallow them whole.

Varric snorted. "I felt the same way when I first heard him joke. You'll get use to it. Getting him out of that shiny silver armor did wonders for him."

"Right. This has been...annoying. I really do have work to do so if you would please both go away-far, far away. That would be wonderful," Cullen said attempting to focus on the reports that Hawke currently wasn't sitting on.

"But we haven't helped you with your problem yet."

"You also haven't answered my question so the way I see it, we have nothing to speak about."

Hawke leaned back to look to the ceiling then rolled her head to the side to stare at Varric.

"He's right, you know."

Varric rose a brow at Hawke.

"Is he?" He could tell from the look in her eye she was up to something. He schooled his face to as impassive as he possibly could to go along with whatever she had planned. Whenever Hawke had that look in her eye, it was definitely worth a good laugh in the end.

"Yes, we have both been alone for so long. Helping others find love but neglecting our own needs. I don't want to neglect my needs anymore, Varric."

"So what do you plan to do about it, Hawke?" Varric asked. His eyes darted over to Cullen who had a look of pure confusion as he stared at the pair. He shifted his eyes back to Hawke who had hopped off of Cullen's desk and sauntered over to him and his eyes immediately focused on her plump lips. She currently had the bottom lip trapped lightly between her teeth. The sight was incredibly erotic and Varric was having a hard time pretending to be nonchalant. He looked up to her and she leaned down, stroking his cheek with her right hand before pressing her lips to his.

Well if she wanted to give Cullen a show, he would oblige. Varric wove his hand into her hair pulled her closer to him, deepening the kiss. Hawke let out a squeak of surprise before throwing her arms around his neck.

"What is happening?" Cullen asked looking between the two before turning away feeling highly uncomfortable. It was apparent that they had forgotten he was even there. He tried to clear his throat to get their attention but his attempts went largely ignored. After a what Cullen would say was entirely too long, they broke apart and Cullen could only thank Andraste that they finally stopped.

"See, Cullen? Easy," Varric said slightly breathless. As he spoke, his eyes were firmly glued to Hawke's slightly swollen lips that he desperately wanted to kiss again. Hawke wasn't fairing any better. Her eyes were glazed over with something akin to lust. It took her a moment to shake the fog that was currently clouding her brain.

"I totally forgot where I was going with this," Hawke said in a bemused tone as she stood straight.

"Ah, I do tend to have that effect on women," Varric said with a smirk.

"Oh shut up you stupid...sexy dwarf."

"Right, I have no idea what is going on with you two but I feel extremely confused and uncomfortable and would very much like it if you two would leave."

Hawke looked at Cullen as if just remembering that he was even there.

"Oooooh right. You. See? We are totally experts in love."

"So we are just going to ignore that fact that you just made out with your best friend?" Cullen asked incredulously.

"We tend to do that a lot, Curly. I wouldn't dwell on it," Varric responded with a laugh. The look on Cullen's face was priceless.

Cullen looked between the two, shock evident on his face.

"Seriously, how did you not know? I'm pretty sure most of Kirkwall knew. We weren't exactly discreet about it. I mean we didn't make out in the middle of Hightown or anything but we never actively hid our relationship. Surely you had to have notice SOMETHING was going on between us."

Cullen shook his head in disbelief.

"Honestly, I had no clue. I had too much on my mind with restoring Kirkwall's Templars and the Circle to pay heed to it. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. You two were virtually inseparable. May I ask how long you have been together?"

Varric blew out a breath and thought for a moment. Had it truly been that long?

"About nine years," He answered. Hawke nodded in confirmation.

"That long? So you two were together? Through the Qunari and the destruction of the Chantry?"

"Yes. I truly don't know what I would have done if I didn't have my trusty dwarf by my side. Truly, he was my rock as I am sure you are the Inquisitor's?"

Cullen sighed as Hawke had successfully steered the conversation back to him.

"I can only hope that I can relieve some of her burden. She has seemingly all of Thedas on her shoulders." A look of melancholy washed over his face. He sighed as he thought of the burden she had to carry and hoped that he at least eased it a little from her. If he could, he would take it from her entirely, alas fate had dealt them a different hand. He was determined to help her in whatever way he could.

"Look, what we have, it is still very new and we aren't exactly trying to announce it to all of the Inquisition. There are other things to focus on and I don't want anything to distract from what she needs to do so if you two would keep it to yourselves it would be appreciated," Cullen replied.

Hawke laughed. "Not doing a very good job. From what we heard in the barracks you two got caught making out on the battlements."

"That's not...Okay, maybe we did. I guess it couldn't be helped. I would prefer to have kept it quiet but in a place such as this one I guess that is easier said than done."

"I would just like to say I am proud of you for that one, Curly. Making out on the battlements? Didn't know you had it in you," Cullen rolled his eyes in response to Varric's comment.

"I think we can chalk this up to another successful match for us, Varric," Hawke chirped.

"What makes you think you two had anything to do with it?" Cullen asked in a huff.

"Tell me, who approached who? Was it you or was it Kira?" Cullen thought back to the moment with crystal clarity. Kira had asked him to chat and they were walking along the battlements. She told him she had feelings for him. Just remembering her words made his heart soar. That was the first day they kissed and quite possibly one of the best days of his life.

"The admission was mostly mutual but I guess you can say she came to me first."

"Well there you go! You are most welcome."

"I still do not see how you two did anything."

"We gave her that encouraging talk to go and grab herself a Commander and she totally did! Now when you two finally make love, you can think this is all possible thanks to Hawke and Varric."

"I most certainly will not be thinking of either of you when we are in the middle of that and the fact that you even gave me that mental image disturbs me greatly. You got what you wanted, I've confirmed our relationship now please for the love of Andraste go away and let me get back to work."

"But we haven't shown you what to do yet! We wouldn't want you floundering when you two get all hot and heavy. Varric and I are such good friend we are willing to give you a demonstration right here," Hawke said. Varric was honestly surprised she was able to say that with a straight face. He was barely holding it together.

"Hawke," Cullen said warningly. Hawke broke into a fit of giggles. It was always fun to tease Cullen. In her opinion he was wound way too tight.

"I missed the angry way you'd say my name. Ah good times." She said wiping a tear from her eye. Varric was shaking silently in laughter. Truly, she was the best at getting under Cullen's skin. Most people were too afraid to mess with him when he was the Knight-Captain. Hawke never had such qualms however. She called it her sacred duty to make sure the stick lodged up his ass never got imbedded too deeply as he was a good guy dealt a bad hand. She made it her mission to bug him relentlessly till he would threaten to lock her up in the stocks, damn the fact that she was Viscount. Cullen may grumble, but Varric knew that he respected the various ways she would annoy him, he never turned away one of her visit. He had to like her at least a little, either that or he was a glutton for punishment. Varric was sure it was the former. Hawke was hard to not like.

"Truly, it was good to see you again Cullen. I am glad to see you doing so well. I am also happy for you and Kira. I'm glad she has someone like you by her side."

Cullen blinked at the sudden sincerity Hawke's voice took. How she shifted from tormenting him to being so compassionate was a mystery to him. He sighed as he felt some of his irritation from her earlier antics dissipate just a bit.

"Thank you, Layla. While this is a bit late in coming, I am happy for you and Varric as well."

Hawke smiled.

"We had our fun for today. We'll leave you in peace."

"Finally," He muttered, though there was no animosity in his tone.

"Let me know if you need more stuff for your hair, Curly. It's no problem to get more," Varric said as he led the way out the door.

"Oh, Cullen," Hawke said before turning to follow Varric out of the office. Cullen looked at Hawke warily.

"That's a pretty sturdy desk if you get my meaning," Hawke said with a wink.

He watched her walk out bewildered. Of course it was a sturdy desk. He purposely picked it for just that reason. He couldn't have his desk breaking down on him while he was working. So exactly why could he still hear Varric's howls of laughter at what Hawke said? He shook his head, determined to put it out of his mind and focus on the reports. He grabbed some of the reports Hawke had sat on and began smoothing it out when her words finally made sense to him.

"Maker's breath," He muttered, shaking his head.

A/N: Thanks to everyone who is following this story and everyone that leaves a review. I appreciate it! I also want to give special love to my fellow Hawke/Varric fans. I'm glad there are others out there! Damn you Bioware for taking their romance out last minute for Dragon Age 2. Oh well, we can still dream.


	26. Hawke and Cassandra

Hawke woke to the feeling of water dripping steadily onto her head. She cracked her eye open slowly and groaned in pain. Her body felt as if she'd been thrown around by a few ogres. It felt too troublesome to move so she didn't. Instead she tried to take in her surroundings. It was hard to get a feel for where she was as the area was mostly dark, sans a light shining from somewhere above. From what she could see, a wall of rock surrounded her. The water dripping onto her forehead came from the stalactite hanging above.

Her hand groped the pouch she kept tied to her belt till she found what she was looking for. She pulled out a health potion, and downed the red liquid as she tried to search her memory to remember how she ended up wherever she was. The sound of metal scraping against rock snapped her out of her reprieve. She sat up quickly, the potion had already worked its magic and she felt no pain as she tried to pinpoint the source of the sound as her hands flew to her daggers. A groan bubbled up from next to her and Hawke relaxed, the memory of how she wound up in this mess coming back to her mind. She waited patiently for Cassandra to fully wake up.

"W-where am I?" The woman asked in her heavy Nevarran accent.

"If I were to guess, an underground cavern," Hawke responded.

She could see Cassandra next to her lean forward to try to get a better look at the person who answered in the dim light.

"Hawke?" The voice asked uncertainly.

"That's me," She replied.

"How did we get here?"

"You fell,"

Cassandra considered this statement in silence. After a few moments her lips twisted into a snarl.

"Varric. It is because of him that I fell."

This statement made Hawke bristle. She didn't know what Cassandra's problem with Varric was, but she was going to get to the bottom of it.

"No, it was your fault that you fell. You lunged at him on a rickety rope bridge, which in itself was not a bright idea by the way, and fell. You caused this seeker, not him. What the hell is your problem with Varric anyway? Since I have been here you have been nothing but aggressive to him."

"He compared my-my womanhood to being as barren as a cavern…the cavern we are currently in actually."

"It was a joke. You know what that is right? You laugh at them not call people little shits—well actually the little shits things is acceptable at times. The point is you don't try to slice them with your sword on a wooden bridge. Can I just reiterate how bad of an idea that was?"

Cassandra sighed. "Yes, Hawke. I got it. It was a bad idea. I was angry and wasn't thinking clearly. Varric has a way of getting under your skin."

"That seems to be just a you thing. Everyone else seems to have no problem with him."

"I know how I fell. Why are you down here?"

"Tired of my company already, Seeker? After all that time you spent looking for me? My but you are a fickle one."

"Hawke," She said warningly.

"I tried to catch you. Your bloody armor is a lot heavier than it looks. I couldn't get a good grip and wound up taking the plunge with you. Now we get to have bonding time…in this dank little cave. Fun right?"

Cassandra merely grunted in response.

"So in the interest of sharing, I ask you again, what is your problem with Varric?"

Cassandra pushed herself off of the ground and winced. Hawke dug in her pouch once more and fished out another potion handing it to her. Cassandra took it gratefully and downed the contents before letting the glass vial shatter to the rocky ground.

"You mean besides the fact that he is a crude, lying, manipulative little shit?" Cassandra responded as she took in their surroundings.

"Well…tell me how you really feel why don't you?" Hawke muttered bitterly.

"You asked."

"That I did. I don't agree with that assessment though."

Cassandra turned to face Hawke. Hawke could barely make out a frown on her face in the low light.

"Of course you don't. You are his friend though I cannot understand why for the life of me."

"Because he is friendly, kind, generous and has a really huge….di—uh delightful heart," Hawke said with a mischievous smile. Cassandra didn't seem to think anything of her pause. "He also has that magnificent chest hair. I mean have you seen it? He's like walking sex," Hawke finished while waggling her brows. Cassandra made a face of disgust.

"That is an assessment I do not agree with. It does not matter. We need to find a way back to the others."

"Actually, it does matter. Your dislike of him got us into this situation in the first place."

Cassandra glared at her. After a few moments, her features softened.

"I know…perhaps my anger is a bit…unreasonable but I feel as if he made a fool of me."

"Fool of you? How?"

Cassandra opened her mouth to speak when Hawke raised a hand to stop her. Cassandra shot her an annoyed look.

"You ask me a question and then tell me to be quiet."

"I heard something," Hawke replied and she began to move forward as if being lulled by some sound that Cassandra could not hear.

Cassandra followed her slowly, groping the sodden walls to help guide her way. Hawke led them to a larger cavern which had a bit more light then the one they were previously in. This area seemed to be an abandoned dwarven thiag. She saw Hawke crouched behind a large slab of a fallen column and followed suite crouching down beside her.

Cassandra could see that both she and Hawke looked quite the mess. That fall had not been gentle on either of them. It was a good thing Hawke had those potions on her because she wasn't exactly sure if they would have been able to get up from it. She silently cursed herself for using up all of her potions in earlier skirmishes. Even with the potion, her body still had a dull ache and she felt a bit stiff. She knew that they would most likely need to see a healer before the day was done.

Cassandra peered over the stone slab to look at whatever had Hawke so transfixed. It seems this thaig was not quite abandoned after all. There was a group of darkspawn on the other side of the room, milling about in what seemed to be an exit.

"Sooo of course, they have to be blocking the only exit to this room. My amazing luck strikes again," Hawke said in a whisper.

"There is nothing to be gained by complaining. We need to come up with a strategy on how to deal with those things."

"My normal strategy would be to sneak past them but you make that a bit difficult."

"What do you mean by that?" Cassandra asked with a incredulous look.

"Stealth isn't exactly your strong suit is it? I mean your armor just screams hey, listen to all this clanking. I'm over here."

"It is for protection. Besides, I am not one to run from a fight. I did not think you were."

"You really are a hard ass," Hawke muttered.

"What?" Cassandra asked.

"We should take them out hard and fast?" Hawke replied with feigned innocence. Cassandra eyed her for a few moments in silence then nodded in acceptance to this explanation.

Cassandra looked back to the group of darkspawn. It was mostly comprised of genlocks. They would be easy to eliminate. The hurlocks might pose a problem. Luckily, there were only two of them. They seemed to be looking in their direction. They didn't hear them did they? Just to be on the safe side, they needed to move quickly if they still wanted the element of surprise on their side.

"I think I have a plan. First, I will charge in. While I have the attention of the group, you will sneak in behind and take out their weakest members first. Once I see that half of their forces are down, I will switch to the offensive. At that time, you should switch your focus to the hurlocks while I take out the remaining genlocks. Once the genlocks have been eliminated, I will join you in your assault of the hurlocks. If we follow this strategy, I am confident that we should get through this battle with no problem."

Cassandra waited for Hawke to give input on this plan. When she received none, she figured that she was simply not paying attention. With an annoyed sigh, Cassandra called Hawke's name. There was no response. With a frown, Cassandra turned her head to look at the spot that Hawke occupied to see that she was no longer there. Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked around. Did Hawke abandon her? She could have easily stealth past this group. Would she have done that? Did she leave her? She did seem rather upset about what she said regarding Varric. She knew the two of them were close friends. No. Hawke wouldn't do that. She was a hero. She was good person.

A strangled gargle followed by several animalistic shrieks filled the cavern. Cassandra's head snapped in that direction to see a dead genlock on the ground in a pool of its own foul blood. The remaining darkspawn were looking around frantically for the assailant, hurlocks screeching out what she imagined were orders to the remaining group. Another genlock dropped spreading further panic in the group. They were disorganized and disoriented. They couldn't see who they were supposed to fight. A third fell and Hawke was revealed from her hiding place in the shadows. She had a grin on her face as she admired her handiwork before assassinating yet another genlock. It seemed that whatever she used to conceal herself had run out. They could see their enemy now and with a terrifying howl they rushed at her.

.

Hawke waited until they were almost upon her. She moved so quickly that Cassandra didn't see it. Suddenly she no longer inhabited the spot she had previously. She was now behind the group that rushed at her, her daggers protruding out of the chest of another genlock.

She kicked its dead body off of her daggers into its allies. Two genlocks struggled to catch their fallen comrade and Hawke used that distraction to rush forward and thrust her daggers into both of them. One of them finding its target in a genlocks's throat, the other embedding in the other's eye. The genlock she had impaled in the eye flailed about, howling loudly in pain. She wrenched her dagger from its eye, pulling shredded chunks of it out as she withdrew her blade and slammed the blade in its throat as well. She bent backwards, barely missing the attack of one of the hurlocks who had joined the fray. Hawke swiped at the hurlock causing it to hop back away from her. She straightened her body and rolled to the side, barely missing an attack to her own neck from the other hurlock who had joined the fray.

Cassandra could only watch in awe. Hawke was deadly yet graceful on the battlefield. Her dance of death was hypnotic and she could not help but be impressed. She had always thought Varric's stories about Hawke were pure exaggeration; Embellishments from the mouth of a friend. She could see now that it was real. Every single word of how she fought a dragon, giant spiders, an arishock, a malformed blood magic monstrosity, it all seemed so very plausible now.

Hawke was now surrounded by the two hurlocks and the remaining three genlocks. Cassandra snapped out of her admiration and focused on the battle before her. She jumped over the slab she had been hiding behind and charged into the battle, her shield positioned in front of her. As soon as she was upon the first hurlock, she slammed into him, checking him roughly with the shield and knocking him clear off its feet. All focus shifted to her. Cassandra noted that Hawke was no longer there. She used Cassandra's distraction as an opportunity to slip back into the shadows. The second hurlock reacted to Cassandra almost immediately, his weapon swiping at her and bouncing off her shield as she blocked. It was undaunted by her defense, swinging its weapon furiously. Hawke used the distraction to pick off two more genlocks and the hurlock she had knocked down. Cassandra parried the next attack from the hurlock and took advantage of the opening by burying her blade in its gut. She yanked her blade out and slammed it into a nearby genlock.

Her eyes scanned the battle and all she could see was the fallen bodies of their foes and Hawke wiping the tainted darkspawn blood off of her blades. Hawke glanced down to her outfit and wrinkled her nose at the blood splotches that decorated it.

"You ever notice how bad darkspawn smell? Even their blood is foul. It's going to take ages to get this stench out of my armor."

"What did you think you were doing? You just ran into battle without me. It was completely reckless to go in without a plan."

"I had a plan. Stick them with the point end until they stop moving. It hasn't let me down so far. Works for most battles actually."

"Stabbing things is not a plan."

"These dead darkspawn beg to differ."

Cassandra made a disgusted noise and threw up her hands.

"Forget it. You are impossible. I see why you and Varric get along so well."

"And I can see how you two clash. You are kind of intense. It's like you don't know how to enjoy things."

"I can enjoy things as much as the next person. There is just a time and place for everything and battle is not a time for jokes."

"It is the perfect time for jokes, Cassandra. Not everyone can deal with such abysmal circumstances head on. Some of us need to laugh or we will cry. We will be too powerless to do anything at all. We cope the best way we can; Just like you seem to like to approach things with a massive stick up your ass."

"I might have been more sympathetic to what you said if you hadn't included the stick part," Cassandra responded. Her voice was laced with irritation.

"Sorry, habitual. Can we start over?"

Cassandra sighed.

"I do not hate Varric and I do not dislike you."

"Then what is your issue with him?'

"He lied to me and I believed it. I felt like a fool for hanging on his every word."

"Don't feel bad about that…Varric has a very talented mouth….," Hawke grinned to herself at the joke she was sure went over Cassandra's head if her expression was anything to judge by.

"You mentioned that before though, that he lied to you. What did he lie about?"

"About you. He knew where you were when we needed you most and he lied! He told us he didn't know where you were and I believed him."

"Okay, Cassandra, step back for a second and look at it from his point of view. Crazy human drags him into his best friend's home after breaking in mind you and throws him in a chair. This crazy human follows this up by throwing a dagger at his crotch and demands he gives up his best friend. How exactly would you react?"

Cassandra remained silent as she thought about what Hawke had said. It was true, perhaps her initial introduction to Varric was a touch…rough but she was warned about how much of a swindler he was. She did not want to risk being deceived by him and figured a direct approach was the best approach. In hindsight, perhaps it was not. She understood Varric's anger towards her and knew it was warranted but her own anger that she was still deceived by him prevented her from acknowledging her own fault in the situation.

"Perhaps…I could have handled the situation better. Perhaps I could have let him know how important it was to find you. Let him know exactly what was on the line."

"Maybe. It doesn't matter now though does it? You have someone who can handle this situation far better than I. The Inquisitor is the perfect woman for the job. Touched by Andraste and all that. I'm good but I can't boast that," Hawke said with a smile. Cassandra only nodded to Hawke's words.

"I suppose you are right. I will try to be less antagonistic toward Varric. While he is still annoying, I will admit that he has fought by our side when he could have left long ago."

"There ya go! Soon we will all be the best of friends, sharing a drink in the tavern and talking about this crazy time when you guys hated each other."

"Let's not get carried away," Cassandra replied flatly and Hawke laughed. She walked towards the exit the darkspawn were guarding and peered down the new corridor.

"I feel a breeze. I guess this is the way to go."

"I know you have no reason to do so, but would you consider doing me a favor, Hawke?"

Hawke turned around to face Cassandra, the look on her face imploring her to continue.

"I would like you to autograph a copy of 'Tales of the Champion', uh for my friend that is."

Hawke grinned.

"Is your friend named, Cassie?"

"Do not call me that."

"I'm not! I'm calling your friend Cassie."

Cassandra grunted and pushed by Hawke, leading the way out of the cavern and back to their friends.

A/N: I just wanted to take the time to thank everyone who has ever left a comment on this story. I really appreciate you taking the time. So thank you KoraKendalls, Tom, David Johnston, Omegas Prime, Random Rockets, Nightheart, Zeezle, Kyla Baines and Kiarainu!

In the future, I will try to engage more and respond to your comments going forward. I read them all and I love em so keep em coming. Thanks again!


	27. Dagna, Cullen, Leliana and Sera

Cullen's brow furrowed as he read the report handed to him by Leliana. She stood by his desk in silence, waiting for him to finish. Cullen let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose with his gloved hand.

"I already know the answer to this but…this report is accurate, right?"

"I'm afraid it is," Leliana confirmed. Cullen rubbed the back of his neck and rolled his head, working out the kinks that had bunched up there.

"How is it possible that the Venatori has so many troops seemingly everywhere? It almost feels as if they have unlimited forces," Cullen said as his eyes scanned the report again.

"That's easy to answer, Commander. They cheat. I think the arch-demon they have is proof of that," Leliana said with a small smile as she tried to bring levity to their dire situation. It worked, Cullen gave a brief chuckle.

"I suppose there is no point in complaining about it. Let's work out a strategy," Cullen said. Before he could say anything more, a knock on the door demanded their attention. Both heads turned in question to the door. Cullen bade their visitor to enter. They were both surprised to see a smiling female dwarf staring up at them. She stepped into the room and gasped once her eyes fell on Leliana.

"Oh…OH! I didn't know you would be here too!"

The dwarf then fell into an awkward silence. Her face contorting showing that she was deep in thought about something. Leliana opened her mouth intent on asking the dwarf what she wanted when she exclaimed "Oh sod it!" just before rushing to Leliana and wrapping her arms around her waist in a tight hug.

Leliana was left speechless as she stared dumbfounded at the dwarf currently clinging to her. She look to Cullen, her expression asking if he had any idea who she was or what was going on. Cullen shrugged, just as confused as she was from this turn of events.

Leliana peeled the dwarf from around her waist.

"Who are you?" Leliana asked.

"Oh! That is sooooo embarrassing! I just ran up and hugged you and you don't even remember me. You probably think I am some sort of weirdo," the dwarf responded with a laugh.

"A bit," muttered Cullen earning a glare from Leliana.

"You just took me by surprise. You have us at a disadvantage. You know me, but we don't know you," Leliana replied diplomatically.

"Of course, sorry about that, really," the dwarf replied. "My name is Dagna and I am The Inquisition's new Arcanist!" Dagna puffed out her chest in pride at the declaration. "I already met the Inquisitor and she thought it would be good if I formerly introduced myself to her advisors. I just finished speaking with Lady Josephine and I was coming to meet Ser Cullen next. Oh but even thought I had you as last, that doesn't mean I didn't want to meet you. Quite the opposite really! I wanted to save the best for last," Dagna said speaking quickly.

Leliana and Cullen exchanged glances once more, both sharing the silent opinion that this dwarf was an odd one.

"Yes, I was told that you would be arriving. It is nice to meet you Dagna," Cullen said politely. To this, Dagna giggled.

"Something funny?" Cullen asked with a frown, not getting the joke.

"You said nice to meet you but I already know you. I mean I guess not directly and I guess we never did formerly meet, meet but we did speak before. We said hello to each other, though your hair was a lot curlier then," Dagna replied as she peered curiously at his hair.

Cullen cleared his throat in embarrassment and Leliana let out a muffled laugh which was not heard by the other occupants in the room. She decided to throw Cullen a bone. She knew he was extremely sensitive about his hair.

"It is nice meeting you, Dagna. I have heard tell of what you can do and I believe you will be a fine addition to the Inquisition. I must say, however, I am still a bit confused as to why you hugged me when you first arrived," said Leliana.

"Because I know you too!" Dagna exclaimed with a bright smile. "Do all humans have such bad memories? She wondered while tilting her head to the side. She couldn't understand how they had forgotten her so easily when she remembered both of them so vividly. Well it was possible that they had a lot on their minds at the time. That and the pressure of the current war was most likely bearing down on them. She couldn't blame them for forgetting her.

"I'm sorry, Dagna. It seems neither of us remember you as you remember us. Would you be as so kind as to give us a reminder?" Leliana asked.

"Of course!" Dagna replied. She tapped her chin and thought about where to start. "Well, I met you first, Sister Leliana. It was in Orzammar."

Leliana searched her memory, she hadn't been to Orzammar recently. The last time she was there was with the warden. They had met so many dwarves down there. Besides the Royal family, none of them particularly stood out.

"You were with her," Dagna continued. She adopted a starry eyed look as the memory was called to the forefront of her mind. "If it wasn't for you guys, I wouldn't be what I am today. You, Lady Wynne, Alistair and the Warden, well I guess I should say the King and Queen of Ferelden," She said with a giggle.

"Any who," She continued, singing the word and stretching out the o. "You four heard my impassioned plea to study magic in the Circle. All of you went out of your way, during the blight, the same blight that threatened to destroy all of Ferelden. I mean seriously, that's a big friggin' deal! You guys went all the way from Orzammar to Lake Calenhad to speak to the First Enchanter on my behalf. You guys didn't even know me but you all went out of your way for me. That is something I can never forget."

Cullen looked at Leliana for confirmation if what Dagna said was true. Leliana nodded subtly to confirm that she did remember the event in question. It was highly debated among their party when The Warden announced her intentions. Morrigan was against it and called it a frivolous and colossal waste of time. Sten felt similarly and Zeveran was completely bored of the idea. In truth, only the people that Dagna mentioned supported the Warden in her decision. She didn't think that such a small gesture had meant so much to the young dwarf standing before them. In Leliana's mind this was all the confirmation she needed to know that they made the right decision.

"I am very happy that it worked out for you, Dagna. Truly it is good to see you again."

"I guess we met at the Circle then?" Cullen said carefully. His time at the Ferelden Circle during the blight was not one he thought of with fondness. Memories from that time still haunted his dreams.

"Yes! You were um kind of distant from everyone but whenever you saw me you said hello, even though it was more like a mumble more than a real hello. You tried at least! I mean I don't blame you. I heard about what happened to you with the demons getting into your mind. That couldn't have been easy to deal with," Dagna replied.

Cullen looked down, ashamed and troubled by the memory Dagna stirred up within him. Dagna sensed this. Once again her mouth got her in trouble.

"Oh, I'm sorry. You probably don't want to be reminded of that and I just went and brought it up," said Dagna. Cullen closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he re-opened them, his face was unreadable.

"Do not think about it any further. I have put the experience behind me," He said. It was a lie, but she did not need to know that. "I am sorry that I do not remember you, but for what it is worth, it is good to formerly meet you now. I look forward to seeing what you can do for the Inquisition."

Dagna brightened up at this.

"I already have tons of ideas. I gave some of them to the Inquisitor and she said she would be discussing it with you guys."

Cullen merely nodded at this.

"It truly is a small world, isn't it?" Leliana said with a smile. "It was good to see you again, Dagna but we truly must get back to our meeting."

"Oh, of course, right. It was good seeing both of you as well. I'm sorry about the whole ambush hug thing. I was just excited, you know?" Leliana nodded, a warm smile on her face.

"Okay then. Bye. Feel free to see me in the undercroft if you ever need anything," Dagna said with a wave as she trudged out of the door, leaving Cullen and Leliana to their work.

=#=

In the undercroft, Sera was searching for Harritt's tools. The old bugger had done a better job of hiding them after Sera "borrowed" them last time. She took her time searching, it wasn't like she was in a rush. She cleverly orchestrated a meeting between Flissa and Harritt and knew they would be busy for a while. The undercroft seemed different than the last time she was here. There was an assortment of strange new devices she had never seen before. She poked at the foreign machines, trying to figure out their purpose. Her boredom set in quickly when she couldn't discern the use for the objects. If they couldn't help her with her revenge on that frigid ice bitch, it wasn't worth bothering with.

Sera seethed as she thought of Vivienne. For the life of her, she didn't understand why Inky insisted on taking them out together. They did not get along! Every attempt Sera has tried to get under Vivienne's skin has been rebuffed. The woman was unflappable. Not only that, she challenged Sera in a way she had never been challenged before. It seemed that she was always on the lookout for Sera's plots and would always foil them. Then she would taunt her, throwing Sera's latest failure in her face. It was infuriating. She was a sneaky sort of evil, the worst of the worst and Sera wanted nothing more than to knock her down a few pegs. Even earlier today, she pulled a sneaky trick on Sera. While they were in the middle of a fight, Vivienne turned the ground beneath Sera's feet into ice, causing her to slip and land hard on her bottom. Her butt still hurt from the fall. Before she could return the favor and shoot an arrow straight into the mage's derriere, she saw that Vivienne had actually saved her from an enemy that had managed to sneak up behind her. Sera was infuriated that she owed the mage and refused to thank her, leading Vivienne to taunt her about her rudeness and how she basically owed her for saving what she called a practically worthless life. She could have easily just shouted watch out or something, no instead she had to humiliate her and then make herself out to be a hero. Sera saw through Vivienne's bullshit and would pay her back.

Sera spotted a chest in the corner that she didn't remember seeing before. She kicked at it with her foot and saw that it wasn't locked. Kneeling down, she pushed the chest open fully and was greeted with stacks of papers. She picked up a few and started reading. Scanning them quickly, it seemed to be letters of hate directed at someone named Dagna, Some of them were pretty brutal. She cocked her head to the side in confusion. She didn't know a Dagna in the Inquisition. Why was this even here?

"Yeah those are pretty bad," Dagna said from behind Sera.

Sera jumped at the voice and cursed herself for not paying attention. She tossed the letters in the chest and slammed it closed.

"Nothing, nothing. I wasn't doing anything. Nope," She said quickly as she turned to face the dwarf. She stared at her for a few moments. She didn't know her. Perhaps this was Dagna?

"Oh it's okay. I don't mind if you look at them. I personally keep them as reminders. Those people in those letters doubted me, called me mad," Dagna chuckled. "But look at me now! It's a reminder of how far I have come."

"So you're Dagna then? Those letters make you out to be kind of a tit. Might be better to just burn the lot. Fig what anyway else thinks of you. You don't need those sorts of reminders."

"Oh they aren't all bad," replied Dagna. "There are a few nice ones in there too. Anyway like I said, they remind me of where I came from and where I am, I don't mind,"

Sera shrugged, indifferent to the whole thing. She moved away from the chest and cast another glance around the room.

"Hey, know where Harritt hid his tools?"

"Um, sure but who are you exactly?"

"Uhhh, Sera, his assistant," Sera replied.

"Harritt doesn't have an assistant though?" Dagna replied.

"Oh sure he does, I just don't um come here all the time….," The look on Dagna's face told Sera that she wasn't buying it. "Alright screw it, the name's Sera, right? I need his tools for…reasons. I'll return them before he even knows they are gone."

"What do you need them for? Perhaps I can help. I'm pretty handy with tools myself," Dagna replied brightly.

Sera groaned, not wanting to explain herself. That would definitely cause Dagna to not give her the tools and she would have yet another person to watch out for whenever she wanted to use them.

"Just reasons. Harritt knows I'm borrowing them and Inky said it was all good sooooo where are they?"

"If Harritt told you it was okay to borrow it, then why didn't he tell you where they were? Also, he doesn't seem the type to share his tools," Dagna replied.

Piss, she was making this impossible. Sera was getting frustrated and her frustration caused her to blurt out the truth.

"I need them to put that frigid ice bitch in her place, right so just tell me where they bloody are!"

Dagna blinked at this declaration, taken by surprise.

"Piss," Sera exclaimed, realizing she ruined her chance to get the tools.

"Who's the ice bitch?" Dagna asked. It was Sera's turn to look surprise.

"The posh big butt nob, Vivienne," Sera replied.

"Oh, I don't think I met her yet. Are you going to hurt her?" Dagna asked?

"What? No, just screw with her a bit. Kick her down a peg so she can stop turning her nose up at everything and everyone."

"Oooooh," replied Dagna, her eye lit up suddenly with mischief. "What kind of stuff do you have planned?" She whispered conspiratorially. Sera blinked. She hadn't expected this reaction. It was kind of cute. She grinned and leaned in to whisper some of the plans she had for Vivienne. The two spent the rest of the day plotting on the unsuspecting mage.

=#=

Vivienne headed up to the alcove she had claimed as her own in the main hall of the Skyhold. Today has been a terrible day. All of her clothes were too small for her. They all seemed to be too tight and she knew it was impossible that she suddenly gained weight overnight. She was forced to wear a tacky circle robe. The sheer horror of it all. She tried her best to make the drab garb look somewhat fashionable but it was a near impossible feat. She had already put in an order for more clothes and unfortunately she would be forced to wear these horrible rags until they arrived. She had a sneaking suspicion an annoying pointy eared brat was responsible for this but she had no real proof to accuse her. Also, it seemed a bit to clever to be one of her pranks.

Gracefully, Vivienne sat down onto her daybed, intent on hiding from the public eye until she got new clothes. As soon as she put her full weight onto the bed, a crack was heard and it tipped forward spilling her unceremoniously to the floor. Vivienne was mortified. There was no way she had gained so much weight as to break her daybed! She quickly looked around hoping that her embarrassing fall was not witnessed by anyone. To her misfortune, she did have a visitor and it was Sera who was currently laughing manically, entirely too pleased with herself. She knew that she was behind all of this. Vivienne's eyes narrowed as she stood and dusted herself off trying to keep an air of calm and grace. She would get that brat back if it was the last thing she did.


	28. Dorian, Hawke and Varric

"My my! So this is where you two have been hiding. Too good to slum it up with the commoners? Not that I blame you. You southerners tend to not be familiar with the concept of soap."

Varric and Hawke turned around to acknowledge the intruder to their little sanctuary within Skyhold. Standing in the doorway to the abandoned room was Dorian. Hawke rose a brow at the intrusion. Normally no one came to their little hideaway. How did he manage to find them?

"Are...are you posing?" Hawke asked Dorian. Dorian flashed her a brilliant smile.

"I just wanted to be sure that I was showing my best side to the infamous 'Champion of Kirkwall'. Though I really shouldn't bother. All of my sides are amazing. Have you seen me?" Dorian replied. Hawke stared at Dorian, not quite sure of what to make of the narcissistic mage.

"How'd you find us, Sparkles?" Varric asked, ignoring Dorian's comment. Hawke rose a brow at the nickname and Varric shrugged.

"It fits him," he replied.

"I still believe I deserve a better name, but alas," Dorian said with a mock wounded look on his face. Varric shrugged.

"We had this talk already, Sparkles. It fits and you know it. So...gonna tell me how you found us?"

"Now, now. Why would I reveal my sources to you? I much rather make you squirm and force you to lie awake at night as you try to figure out how I managed to track you down," Dorian replied with a grin.

"That would only happen if I cared. I was mostly curious but it won't keep me up at night. Sorry to disappoint."

"Lies. Anyway, since the Dwarf obviously does not have manners, allow me to properly introduce myself-" Dorian bowed to Hawke. "I am Dorian Pavus, Altus to House Pavus of Qarinus...though I am not sure exactly how welcomed I would be there these days. And you are Hawke. The Champion of Kirkwall. A pleasure."

"You're from Tevinter," Hawke stated, her eyes roaming up and down his body taking in his form. He definitely looked as if he came from a privileged background. That coupled with the fact that the a fair share of the Inquisition's enemies came from Tevinter made her a bit curious as to why he was here fighting with the Inquisition.

"My! Look at how smart you are. I can certainly see that the rumors of the infamous Champion wasn't mere grandstanding from our lovable little hairy friend here," Dorian replied as he gave Varric a little smirk.

Hawke looked from Dorian into her nearly empty mug then to Varric. She leaned in and whispered to him.

"I don't think I'm nearly drunk enough to deal with this personality," said Hawke. Varric gave her a lopsided grin.

"I gotcha, Hawke," Varric replied before standing up and walking to the opposite side of the room, speaking to Dorian as he went.

"So, exactly why are you here, Sparkles? I mean besides wanting to make thinly veiled insults to Hawke?"

Dorian pouted and folded his arms across his chest. "Well it isn't that thinly veiled if you were able to suss it out so quickly."

"Don't feel bad, Sparkles. I have an unusual talent for spotting passive aggressive behavior. I get a lot of practice attending meetings at the merchant's guild...though with them it is usually a precursor to not so passive aggression," Varric responded as he returned to Hawke's side holding an unopened bottle.

"Back home when it degrades into violence that is usually the other admitting defeat-Do my eyes deceive me or is that a bottle of Sun Blonde Vint-1?" Dorian asked as he watched Varric pop the cork.

"It is, I felt it was appropriate for the occasion," Varric responded with a grin as he poured a generous portion of the bottle's contents into Hawke's awaiting mug. Dorian watched the liquid as it journeyed into Hawke's mug. Unconsciously he licked his lips, missing the refined taste of the Tevinter brew. To be able to partake in such a delicious beverage, you had to have some clout in Tevinter. Yet here was Varric, a sneaky little dwarf who probably never set foot on Tevinter soil in his life, pouring the brew normally reserved for the elite of the elite into a fucking mug. The very idea was ludicrous to Dorian and while he should have probably put up more of a complaint about the situation, he couldn't help but desire to taste the sinfully delicious drink once more. It was at this time he was reminded with how much he missed his homeland.

Varric could plainly see that pained expression on Dorian's face. He decided to throw the exuberant mage a bone.

"Would you like some? I'm sure I can find another mug somewhere around here," Varric asked. Dorian made a face at the word 'mug' but his desire to taste the Sun Blonde Vint-1 again won out.

"Would it at least be clean?" Varric flashed him a grin and shrugged. Dorian groaned.

"Ugh, fine. Tell no one. I have a reputation to uphold you know."

"Of course, Sparkles. It'll be our little secret," Varric said as he went off to find another mug for him. Dorian took this time to look at the woman sitting before him. She sat in silence, her eyes glued to the mug she held in her hands. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, showing that she and Varric had most likely have been drinking for a while before he arrived.

"So...Champion-" Dorian began. Hawke instantly made a face at the name.

"I am never going to live that name down am I? I sometimes wonder if people realize that my name isn't Champion."

Dorian chuckled.

"Varric is certainly a master at the literary arts. He made you out to be an untouchable legend. Saying your name is just not as exciting as your title I'm afraid."

"Well please, amongst friends I would rather be called Hawke. I would say call me Layla but if I couldn't get my other friends to do it after seven years of trying, I'm pretty sure I have no chance of getting anyone here to do it."

"Friend? That's an odd classification to throw on someone you met just moments ago. A dangerous one as well. After all, in case you haven't noticed I am the big bad Tevinter. Calling me a friend in public will definitely have people drop that moniker you dislike so much faster than you can blink."

Hawke shrugged and took a long drink of the Sun Blonde Vint-1, letting out a pleased humming sound as the liquid slid down her throat.

"Shit...this is good. You Vint's know how to drink." Hawke remarked as Varric returned to her side with a mug.

"Well, we usually sip instead of guzzle like a barbarian but your compliment is appreciated all the same."

Hawke merely smirked and while maintaining eye contact downed the rest of her drink in one gulp. Dorian was certain she was doing this to get a rise out of him and wanted nothing more than to ignore her childish attempts at stoking his ire but he was unable to stop the look of disgust that marred his features. Hawke let out a victorious laugh and he shook his head. Southerners were such braggarts.

Varric watched all of this with an amused smirk as he held out the cup to Dorian who accepted with a small frown. This frown almost immediately changed to a smile once Varric started pouring the drink into his cup. Varric chuckled softly. He would never tell this to the mage's face, but his exuberance reminded him of a child getting exactly what he wished for on Wintersend.

"You know, you aren't the worst Tevinter I have met. You would probably rank a three at best," said Hawke as she watched him take a dainty sip of his drink.

Dorian rose a brow, amused by this. "Out of five?"

Hawke shook her head. "Out of ten. I know! A southerner can count to ten. Shocking."

Dorian couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, color me impressed...That coupled with the fact that you don't seem to carry the normal stench that seems to permeate the locals here, I must say you so far have exceeded my expectations."

Hawke flashed him a grin as Varric refilled her cup.

"Your expectations honestly don't sound very high to begin with."

Dorian took another sip of his drink, savoring the taste before swallowing.

"Honestly, it wasn't. From the stories I heard about you, I was expecting a spurned, boorish woman that got off on slaughtering innocent little mages. Punishing them for the sins of your former lover who went behind your back and killed the mother of Kirkwall's Chantry in a spectacular fashion in the name of freedom for the oppressed mages there."

Hawke spit out the drink she had just swallowed in what even she had to admit was an undignified manner. She stared dumbly at Dorian.

"W-what the fuck?" A part of Dorian took glee in the fact that he was able to frazzle the mighty champion so easily.

"That is the story that is being circulated within Tevinter...After skimming Varric's Tales of the Champion, I wasn't sure what to believe so I decide to meet the woman herself and make up my own mind about what type of person she really is."

Hawke still seemed a bit stunned by this news. She remained quiet as she sorted through this information.

"So my books don't sell in Tevinter?" Varric asked.

"On the contrary, they do. Your novel Hard in Hightown was all the rage a few summers ago. Your Tales of the Champion? Not so much. If any copies made it, they weren't circulated amongst the people. Controlling information such as that makes it easier to control the populace you see."

"Tevinter put me together with, Anders? Why? Out of all people why him?"

"Out of everything that was said, THAT'S what concerns you?" Varric asked.

"Yes!" Hawke replied. "Why couldn't Tevinter just leave me as a single woman? They could have even said that my heart was too hardened to love someone other than myself with all the mage killing and everything," Hawke said with a pout.

"Aw, come on...Blondie wasn't so bad," Varric replied. Hawke gave him a look that quite clearly called him on his comment and he raised his hands up in surrender.

"So I take it that you and this, Anders weren't lovers then?" Dorian asked, inserting himself back into the conversation.

"No. Not lovers and if anyone would have been spurned it damn well would have been him, not me."

"But you did side with the templars against the mages?"

"Yes, I did."

"But it wasn't to enact revenge against your former lover?"

"No, because he was not my lover. He was my friend...at least he was once," Hawke replied, a frown on her face as she thought of Anders' descent into madness. When they first met, he was such a different person. Sure he was easily agitated and he was passionate about the plight of mages, but he wasn't manic about it. Hawke sometimes wondered if she was to blame for his actions. Before they met, Anders had been trying to live a life of secrecy as he hid from the Wardens. She dragged him out of the hole she found him in within the depths of Darktown. She was the one who helped him with his dangerous schemes to help the downtrodden mages of Kirkwall. She brought him deeper and deeper into the fight. How could she not hold any responsibility for his actions. Sure she tried to stop him when she saw that his obsession with the cause was becoming dangerous but it was too late. The wheels of fate had been spinning for far too long to simply stop. Like everyone else in Kirkwall, she could only watch in horror as Anders took his hate to a new level.

Varric had tried to tell her it wasn't her fault but she didn't believe him. She knew that the love Varric held for her made him biased. The blood of the people in the Chantry the night Anders destroyed it as well as all the mages that died that night was on her hands just as easily as it was on Anders.

"Then if you don't mind my asking, why did you take the side of the templars? Why punish the mage's for the actions of one man?"

Varric let out a grunt. He wrote the book to avoid Hawke answering these questions. Yet it seemed there was always someone who had to hear the reason directly from her. Most of the time when this happened, he would gladly introduce them to Bianca. Since this was Dorian, a fellow member of the Inquisition, he held back. Besides, Hawke knew how to fight her own battles. She didn't need him to play her knight in shining armor despite this underlying desire for him to do so.

"Have you been to, Kirkwall?" Hawke asked.

"Unfortunately, I have. I wasn't able to wash the smell off for days," Dorian replied.

"Well, did you happen to notice that something was a bit off there?"

"Besides the disturbing lack of hygiene?"

"You are really harping on about the cleanliness thing," Hawke said in an amused tone.

"Only because it is such a near and dear topic to my nose."

"Yes, besides the lack of proper hygiene," Hawke said, rolling her eyes.

"Not really. I was only there for a few days and it was mostly spent inside of the mansions of one of my father's associates."

"Well, if you had time to be in Kirkwall for a couple of weeks, or even months, you would have noticed that something was not quite right with it or the people there. People seemed to be more inclined to make bad decisions and by bad decisions, I mean the let's make deals with demons kind of bad decisions."

"What are you talking about?" Dorian asked, puzzled by this information. "Are you saying the mages there were all under the thrall of demons?"

"No, I am saying that they were all much more highly susceptible to it. Not just mages...regular people as well though the mages were the ones affected the most. As you know, Kirkwall belonged to the Tevinter once. It was the center for their slave trade-"

"I'm aware," Dorian replied quickly hoping to move the conversation along.

"So it is safe to say that at some point in time, magisters resided in Kirkwall. During their rule, the experiments they did in Kirkwall would have lasting effects that I'm sure they didn't even realize long after they were gone,"

"Ah, I see...so we are going with the blame the Tevinter's excuse then, are we?"

"She's not kidding, Sparkles," Varric replied. "The Tevinter's chose Kirkwall because the veil is thin around there to begin with. This is a known fact. What is not commonly known is that the magisters decided it was a good idea to make it even thinner. There is a hot bed of demonic shit going on under Kirkwall."

"You can't expect me to just take your word on this right?" Dorian asked. Even as he said it however, somewhere within him, he knew that what they were saying was true. It sounded like just the insane plan an over eager group of magisters would cook up in the quest for more power.

"You don't have to take our word for it. We have proof. I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see the evidence myself. Historically, Kirkwall has always had a more troubled history than mages in other circles. A greater percentage of them do not survive the Harrowing and a greater percentage turn to blood magic than any other circle. There is a reason for that."

Dorian sighed. Damnit. What were they thinking? How many of his countrymen had this philosophy? Power at any cost, damn the consequences. It was no surprise so many people loathed Tevinters.

"That still doesn't explain why you sided with the templars."

"I have lived in Kirkwall for seven years before everything went to shit thanks to Anders. During that time I have had the unfortunate pleasure of witnessing blood magic first hand. I have seen how they turned to it out of desperation, out of a lust for power...out of love-"

At that moment, Varric knew that Hawke was thinking of the horrible fate that befell her mother, Leandra. Varric reached over and squeezed her hand reassuringly. She looked at him and smiled. That squeeze let her know that Varric was there for her. That he would not let her slip back into that dark place that she fell into after her mother died. He was her pillar and he would be there to hold her up as long as she needed. Dorian caught this action but did not know the meaning behind it so he just took it as a friend reassuring a friend.

"I knew that with their lives threatened, even if I were to fight on their side, they would have turned to blood magic," Hawke continued. "So many people, innocent people would have gotten hurt. I knew that if I fought with the templars, I could stop a bad situation from getting worse. I could also keep an eye on the templars to ensure that the overzealous members of the order weren't going to butcher any mage that surrendered. I wanted to save as many lives as possible."

"So you are telling me that you joined the templars to help the mages?" Dorian asked skeptically.

"I fought alongside the templars to help those who didn't want to be a part of the shit storm they were swept up into."

"And we saved a bunch of mages that didn't want any part of that madness too. As well as a lot of citizens. At the end of it all, I think Hawke made the best decision in a fucked situation."

Dorian remained quiet for a few moments.

"Well," he began, breaking his silence. "It seems that I had you pegged wrong." Hawke rose a brow this.

"That so? What if I am full of shit? I could have made up this elaborate ruse to keep my good name from being sullied."

Dorian chuckled. "That is true, you could have, but I don't think you did. As a mage, I know the dangers of demons and I know the lure of blood magic. It is almost too easy to give in to either. It is a daily struggle to resist both and not a lot of mages have the strength to do that. I could easily see what you describe as being true. And regarding the veil around Kirkwall...unfortunately it sounds a bit too familiar to be completely made up."

Dorian stared down into his now empty mug. During their talk he had managed to finish it all. It was a pleasant reminder of home that was somewhat marred by the realizations that his countrymen has once again screwed over yet another set of people in the conquest for power. Tevinter had a long way to go to clear the stigma attached to their name by the actions of their forefathers.

"Want a refill, Sparkles?" Varric asked holding up the bottle. Dorian looked up to it and shook his head from side to side. He was done drinking for today and he had learned what he needed. He had a lot to think on and it would be best to do so alone.

"I'm afraid that's enough for me. Thanks for the drink, though I must say, next time we need to have some powered catsbane to go with it. It absolutely accentuates the flavor. Truly, to drink this without it is almost criminal."

Varric chuckled. "Yeah uh, I'll get right on that for next time, Sparkles."

"Was that all you wanted to know, Dorian?" Hawke asked.

"Well, there is one other thing. You said in regards to Tevinters, I was only a three. What was the highest you've ever met?"

"A ten," Hawke responded.

"That bad huh? May I ask the name?"

"Danarius," Hawke responded. Dorian blinked. He knew the name well and he also knew that he met his end in Kirkwall.

"Ah, yes. I heard that he ran into some nasty business during a trip to Kirkwall...Would I be safe in assuming that said nasty business was you?"

Hawke feigned innocence as she tilted her head up in mock thought.

"I don't know. I kill so many pricks on a day to day basis. Kind of hard to keep them all straight. I'm not entirely sure if I landed the death blow but I probably helped. Who knows."

"I see..." Dorian replied.

"Friend of yours?"

"If I said yes, would that up my ranking?"

"Yes, it would. And I would introduce you to a friend of mine. He just loves meeting friends of Danarius and would steal your heart...quite literally."

Dorian blinked. He wasn't sure what she meant by that. Usually when someone stole another's heart, it was figurative...well mostly. Honestly in Tevinter, the lines blurred more often than not. Hawke said literally so it seemed a bit sinister. Though, she was not a blood mage so what use would she have for his heart? Then again, she did say friend...perhaps her friend was a mage? No, after that talk, he doubted she consorted with blood mages. Truthfully it didn't matter, Dorian decided he liked his heart right where it was. He didn't truly need or want to know the true meaning behind her creepy cryptic statement and he would not antagonize her any further.

"Danarius was no friend of mine and no tears were shed at the death of him or that viper he called an apprentice."

"Good to know." Hawke replied with a sweet smile that unnerved Dorian a bit. Of course, he wouldn't let her know that she had rattled him in any way so he stood from the seat he had taken and gave a bow to her and Varric.

"It has been a pleasure. We should do it again sometime...with actual glasses."

"That sounds like it would be fun. Maybe I could introduce you to some Fereldan ale. Not as fancy as this but it hits the spot." Dorian made a face at the thought of his palate tasting something so mundane. Then again, he figured it had to be better than the swill they served in Skyhold so he agreed. With that, he parted ways with Hawke and Varric, leaving the two along in their not so secret sanctuary.


	29. Solas, Hawke and Varric

Hawke stared at Solas through narrowed eyes as she and Varric stood across from him on the opposite side of the desk that sat in the middle of the room he claimed as his own. Varric's eyes darted between Solas and Hawke, unsure as to why she was staring at him with such contempt. No wait, that wasn't exactly contempt that he saw. Was it...disappointment? While Varric told Hawke about the various companions the Inquisitor had been picking she seemed unusually interested in meeting Solas. She all but demanded to meet him and he for the life of him did not understand why. As usual however, he complied. Now here they were and instead of saying anything other than hello, she stared at him with an odd look on her face.

Solas sighed and sat up a little straighter in his chair. Varric had told him that his friend Hawke wanted to meet him. He was curious as to the type of person she might be as he only heard stories about her and what happened in Kirkwall so he agreed. Having her stand across from him with her arms folded across her chest as she gave him a hard stare wasn't what he had in mind.

"As riveting this is, I do have things to do so if we are finished here?" Solas said making them aware that he was done with whatever this was. Her expression finally soften and she tilted her head to the side before turning her head to Varric.

"I don't get it," She said.

"Neither do I," Varric responded. "Though I don't think we are talking about the same thing."

"Maybe. What are you talking about?"

"You asked me to meet Solas but the entire time you just stared at him."

She blinked and looked back to Solas then Varric.

"Was I staring? Oh shit that probably seemed incredibly rude," Solas scoffed at this.

"You didn't notice?"

"Not really," She replied with a shrug. "I mean I was looking at you at first but then I kinda-" She gave him a goofy grin as her eyes flickered up quickly to the top his head then back to his face. "Got distracted." she finished.

Varric pinched the bridge of his nose. He could just imagine what was going on in her head.

"Hawke, why did you want to meet Solas so badly?" Her eyes narrowed once more as she pushed her bottom lip out to make a childish pout.

"You gave him my name and I wanted to know why." Varric's face scrunched up into one of pure confusion.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I would like to know as well," Solas added.

"You gave him the name Chuckles," Hawke exclaimed as she pointed an accusatory finger in Solas' direction.

"THAT'S what this is about?" Varric asked in disbelief.

"Your damn right that's what this is about. Why did you even give him the name? For the entire time that I've been here not once did he say anything funny!"

"I gave him the name because he ISN'T funny. That's what makes it funny."

"That's not how it works! You give people names that fit their personality...at least that's what you did in Kirkwall."

"Is that what I did?" He rubbed his chin. "Huh, I guess I did. Well shit, Hawke, I've been under a lot of pressure so forgive me for forgetting how I name people."

"Who cares if you forgot how you name people. You gave him MY name. The name I waited for years to get!" She exclaimed as she jabbed her finger in the center of his chest. Varric rubbed the spot with a frown.

"For what it's worth, I don't like the name and you can have it back if you wish," Solas offered. Hawke shot him a disgusted look.

"I don't want it anymore. You tainted it," Solas rolled his eyes at this.

"I can see why you and Varric got along. You both are children. Can you please leave and have this ridiculous quarrel elsewhere?"

"Shut it, Baldy we are doing this right here and right now."

Solas frowned at the name.

"How original, Baldly. I suppose that is why Varric is the one responsible for coming up with the nicknames."

"Hawke is better at hitting things than I am so it balances out."

"I wasn't even trying!" Hawke said throwing her hands up in annoyance. "If I wanted to come up with a nickname for him it would be a lot better than the one YOU did, Dwarf."

"Oh? Then by all means."

"Yes, let's hear it," Solas agreed, folding his hands on top of the desk.

"Okay, fine," Hawke replied as she folded her arms across her chest. Her features took on a thoughtful countenance as her eyes swept over Solas' thin frame. She opened her mouth to speak but shut it close without letting any words slip out. Varric and Solas waited patiently for Hawke to speak. After awhile, Hawke threw her hands up in defeat.

"I've got nothing."

Varric gave off a triumpant grin, feeling incredibly vindicated by this meager victory. He pat Hawke's back in a consoling fashion, not attempting to hid his smug grin.

"There there, Hawke. There are a lot of other things you are better at than I am."

"Yeah like reaching things on high shelves," Hawke muttered.

"Ouch a short joke. You wound me," Varric replied with a mock wounded look. Hawke flipped him off causing his grin to grow even wider. Solas sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, thoroughly annoyed with this.

"Please...go away."

"Aw, Chuckles. Why are you in such a rush to get rid of us?" Varric asked. He saw Hawke make a face at the use of the nickname and he had to resist the urge to laugh out loud. He couldn't believe she was so upset over him giving the name Chuckles to Solas.

"As I mentioned before, I have things to do, sitting here and listening to you two have an inane argument is not one of them," Solas retorted.

Hawke walked away from the two men to stare at the unfinished mural painted on the wall. Hesitantly, she lifted a gauntleted hand to touch the wall. It was a crude painting but beautiful in its own way.

"This is amazing...did you do all this alone?" Hawke asked, looking from the mural to Solas.

It looked as if it was telling a story, much like one of Varric's novels but with a lot less flash. Taking in the parts that were finished, she was able to discern exactly what was trying to convey. It was the Inquisitor's adventure's thus far. Hawke wondered what her own adventures would look like in a raw form such as this. None of Varric's fluff to make things seem better than what they were or more exciting. She frowned as she realized that it probably wouldn't look quite as interesting as the Inquisitor's tale. The work she was doing was on a much grander scale than what she did in Kirkwall. Her legacy will be remembered long after she passes from this world, for better or for worse while Hawke? Well at least her tale will be remembered in a book, probably no longer taken as truth and just enjoyed as a fun tale.

Solas hesitated in his answer. He seemed to be debating about whether he should answer her. "Yes...Thank you," He replied after a few moments of internal deliberation.

"This is a Sulevin ghilana hanin right?" Solas' mouth dropped and Hawke frowned. Elvish felt so weird on her tongue she was certain that she had butchered the saying.

"I said it wrong didn't I?" Solas shook his head.

"No. In fact you said it perfectly. I guess I am surprised that you know the term at all."

Hawke smiled.

"I have a good friend, Merrill. She would teach me all sorts of things."

"Ah..." Solas frowned slightly at this news. Hawke didn't understand the sudden change.

"He has a thing about the Dalish," Varric supplied helpfully.

"I do not have a "thing" about the Dalish. They are the ones that walk around with an unjustified air of superiority as they snub their noses at any 'elf' not born frolicking in the woods as they did."

"Oh yeah, that totally does not sound like a thing," Varric said with a smirk. Solas leveled him with a glare which only caused Varric to smile wider.

"So you don't agree that the Dalish are the only ones left to preserve Elven heritage?"

"The Dalish are children, running around with misinformation that they pass as truth and look down to everyone else because of it."

"It kinda does sound like you have a thing against the Dalish," Hawke said.

Solas sighed and shook his head. It was pointless to continue this argument. If only they could understand his disdain towards the Dalish, they wouldn't poke so much fun at him. They had no idea of the things he has seen, the life he had led. They too were children. Like children, they lacked the ability to understand anything outside of the realm of their reality.

"I don't hate the Dalish. I pity them. I pity that they base their entire lives upon false truths. Let's leave it at that. You were correct in your earlier assessment. Indeed this could be considered the Inquisition's guide to their glorious purpose or more accurately, a record of it."

It was clear that he was trying to steer the conversation away from the topic of the Dalish. Neither Hawke nor Varric called him on it, deciding it would be best to simply let the subject drop.

"I must commend you," Solas continued. "Not many humans would have bothered to learn the language of my people. It is not considered a necessity by anyone other than the Dalish so not many bother to learn. That includes the elves that reside in the cities as well."

"I have other interest besides killing stuff you know," Hawke replied as she returned her focus to the mural taking in the detail.

"So I see. It is easy to miss that small detail when you take in to account how Varric described you in his novel."

"Hey, I had a book to sell. Endless pages of her reading and studying does not make a best seller," Varric said.

"Yes, thanks to Varric, most people think I just go around stabbing everything."

"You kind of do, Hawke."

"I don't stab everything, Varric. You're still here."

Varric grinned.

"I'm too lovable to stab."

Hawke scoffed but smiled at his retort.

"You two seem...very close for friends."

"Jealous? Perhaps if you made friends with actual people rather than just spirits-"

"Sprits...yes! That is the other reason why I wanted to meet you," Hawke interrupted.

"What about them?" Solas asked warily, clearly expecting this conversation to annoy him more than it already has.

"Can a spirit truly inhabit a human? I heard it was the work of only demons."

"That is not an easy question to answer. There are a lot of things to consider before one could truly answer that."

"I'm listening."

"What you consider spirit and demon would need to be evaluated. Spirits are merely manifestations of emotion as are demons. They are not inherently evil or inherently good. They just are."

"So the demon that tried get my friends to kill me for the purpose of inhabiting a young mage was not evil? Could have fooled me," Hawke quipped.

"Last time I checked, greed is an emotion. A more aggressive one yes, but an emotion none the less."

"So you are saying that both demons and spirits are the same?"

"Yes...to a degree. Demons are spirits that were forced to cross over the fade and attach itself in the mortal world. They were made to manifest against their will. Such an event could twist them, drive them mad. Imagine being taken from everything you know and thrust into something completely different. I doubt your mind would survive any better than theirs."

"So all spirits from the fade become tainted then..."

"No, not necessarily. If a spirit crosses over on its own free will, it has the ability to retain its personality. There have been many cases in which spirits have come to our side to lend aid to those they regularly had contact with in the fade. Take Cole for example. He is a spirit, one that has crossed over on his own and as such, retained his personality."

Hawke nodded slowly as she took in what Solas was saying. While interesting, it wasn't truly answering her question. Part of her felt guilt for killing Anders. There was a time in which she considered the man to be a friend. The person she killed the day the Chantry was destroyed...that wasn't the man she knew. He was Vengeance. He was a broken and twisted form of himself. Was Vengeance ever good? Did Justice ever exist? Was Anders doomed from the minute he allowed him to inhabit his body?

"You ask because you have doubts about your friend? The one who played host to the spirit Justice?"

"Justice," Varric let out a bitter laugh. "He called himself Vengeance in the end.

"He may have ended up as Vengeance but I believe he did start off as Justice. Your friend's anger warped it...twisted it into something more. It was a victim."

Something about that made Hawke angry. For Solas to claim that Justice or Vengeance or whatever it was, was the victim in all this pissed her off. It made it placed the blame solely on Anders. It made him the bad guy in all of this. It was hard for Hawke to accept. She didn't want to believe the person she considered to be a friend, a person she once trusted was rotten inside all along. She consoled herself with the thought that Vengeance warped her friend and made him into something unrecognizable. What Solas was saying...it made her argument obsolete. It took away all the excuses Anders had. It took away the excuses she had. She can no longer say she was blinded or tricked by a demon. She was tricked by a man...one she trusted.

Hawke forced a smile and headed towards the door.

"Thanks for answering my questions, Solas. It was...weird meeting you."

"Yes...likewise," Solas replied. Hawke left Solas' sanctum and headed back to Varric's quarters. As soon as the door closed, she was pushed against the wall at her waist. Surprised, she looked down to see Varric wrapping his arms around her. He tugged her down to his level and she obliged.

"I know that look, Layla."

"Look?" Hawke asked innocently.

"Don't bullshit me, beautiful. I know you too well for you to even try. Who cares if what Solas says is true. Even if he wasn't possessed by a demon, you weren't wrong to trust him. Don't doubt yourself on that. I think a part of him was good. Somewhere, that part just got lost. I don't think that he was the only driving factor in what made him crazy. Solas can claim innocence on Vengeance all he wants, but I think it had a hand in it too."

Hawke gave Varric a weak smile as she pressed her forehead against his.

"You are a little too perceptive, you know that?"

"Comes with the job, beautiful. By the way, I really didn't think you would care if I gave up the name Chuckles. After all, I have used many more inventive ones during the duration of our relationship.." He said and gave her bottom lip a playful nip.

Hawke groaned and pressed her lips into his, giving him a brief yet passionate kiss. When they broke apart, she rested her head against his forehead once more.

"Yeah, but you usually only use those names when we are in bed."

"Hmm...good point. Some of them might not be suitable in public. Tell you what, I'll come up with a new name for you."

"Pfft I bet I'll have to wait another seven years for it."

"You can't rush greatness, Layla."

Hawke rolled her eyes and smirked.

"You are so lucky I love you, otherwise I wouldn't put up with your shit."

"Yes, I know," Varric replied as he pulled away from her and led her towards the bed. "How about I give you another reminder as to why you put up with me?" He said with a grin.


	30. Hawke, Varric and Kinda Blackwall

Hawke stared in silence with Kira, Varric and Blackwall as Solas gave an impassioned speech to an impressionable young elf that got it in her mind to join the wardens. Hawke could understand the appeal, after all, they had just rescued her from those gross shambling undead that had been stalking Crestwood. Well...to be honest, the Inquisitor's group did the majority of the work but to be fair, the wardens were there first.

Hawke turned her head upward to the sky allowing the cool rain to pelt across her face. She thought over the conversation they had not long ago with the Warden Stroud. If what Corypheus was doing wasn't bad enough, when they were leaving the cave, Stroud had grabbed her and told her that something was off about the man the Inquisitor called Blackwall. He didn't elaborate, because wardens seemed to have a penchant for being frustratingly secretive and unnecessarily cryptic. She let her head roll to the side to take in the sight of Blackwall. He certainly looked the part of a warden and based on that scowl he was wearing as Solas defamed the Warden order, he had some sort of relation to them.

"That's the third time I've caught you staring at me. Is there something you want?" Blackwall asked as he leveled a steely gaze at Hawke.

"You seem mighty testy, Warden Blackwall," Hawke replied.

Something about the way she said warden made Blackwall's eye twitch. It didn't sound like a title, it sounded like something else entirely. Something negative. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. Perhaps it was his imagination. He was irritated by the way Solas was talking about the order. Perhaps he was just overly sensitive.

"I...apologize. You are not the one that deserves my anger," he replied as he let his gaze flicker back to Solas. "Still, you have not answered my question. Is there something that you want from me? You have been staring at me for quite some time and I doubt it is because you are smitten with me."

"How do you know? I might have a secret fetish for hairy men," Hawke asked in a sweet voice.

Blackwall chuckled. "Is that so? Well tell me, Lady Hawke...do you?" He inquired, raising one eyebrow in question, his voice dropping an octave lower.

Varric, who had been listening to the entire conversation normally did not consider himself to be the jealous type. However, the sudden shift in Blackwall's tone made something inside of him unsettled and he had the sudden urge to mark his territory, so to speak. He could tell from Hawke's tone, that she was teasing Blackwall, but that woman had no idea of the sexual appeal she exuded. Blackwall's question was not one made in jest, he was truly curious and Varric did not like the idea that he was even considering his woman to be an option. His male ego took over and sensibility was forced into the background for the time being.

"Did you use those same lines on Ruffles? Who knew Wardens had such smooth lines. I thought you were all about Darkspawns and Blights," Varric said with a laugh that was lacking any sort of mirth.

Blackwall shifted his attention from Hawke and focused on Varric.

"I have no idea what you mean," he replied flatly.

"No idea about the smooth moves or no idea about that fact that you've been flirting with Ruffles at every chance you get?"

Blackwall scowled and turned from both Hawke and Varric.

"Both," he grounded out.

"Really? I thought you had a thing for Josephine as well," said Kira who had also grew disinterested in Solas' conversation.

"I'm sure there are other things to talk about rather than my love life," Blackwall replied.

"Okay then, what are the dreams like?" Asked Hawke.

"What dreams?" Blackwall replied.

"You know, those dreams Wardens get?"

Blackwall stiffened. He didn't like this line of questioning and wanted to get the attention off of him as soon as possible.

"What does it matter? It will not affect my ability in battle," he replied sharply.

"I get that, but aren't they really crazy? I would imagine they would be. Do you dream about Darkspa-"

"Enough! Blackwall interrupted. "I will not give this false calling nor Corypheous any power by acknowledging it. Get your amusement elsewhere."

Kira, Hawke and Varric looked at each other, surprised by the sudden outburst.

"We understand that it is difficult for you, Blackwall. We will trouble you no longer with our idle curiosity," Kira said with a smile. Blackwall gave a sigh and nodded but said nothing more.

The rest of the trip went through in relative silence. Since teaming up with the Inquisition, Hawke found it odd following someone else's lead. At the same time however, it was freeing to not have the burden of leadership solely on her shoulders.

After Kira dragged them around Crestwood for what Hawke swore was hours, they were finally back in Skyhold. The group split apart, each going to their own little corners for a much needed respite. Before Kira could head off, Hawke stopped her. Kira opened her mouth to speak but Hawke shook her head, indicating that she wait until they were alone.

Blackwall ducked down a hallway just out of sight and glanced at the trio with a grimace. So far, the conversation between them seemed inane. He couldn't hear it all but the bits and pieces he could pick up were not of importance and most importantly, his name wasn't mentioned.

Blackwall felt uncomfortable with the way things were going. He knew that he wasn't just being sensitive to the matter. While they were walking back, Hawke's eyes were on him the entire time. Watching him, judging him…at least it felt that way to him.

He didn't expect to run into wardens in Crestwood. He should have been more wary when Kira initially asked him to accompany her. She said his presence might inspire trust. He laughed at this. If she knew his past, she wouldn't be saying such honeyed words. Regardless, he acquiesced to her request and joined her. When they ran into those wardens on the road he nearly fled from fear of being discovered. Luckily, they didn't acknowledge him and the meeting went by without incident. To his misfortune however, when they met Hawke in Crestwood, he came face to face with the Warden Stroud. Stroud looked at him with the same strange judging eyes that Hawke had but to his relief he didn't say a word to him.

Blackwall almost wanted to curse aloud when Kira asked him about how the calling was affecting him. It was the first time he had ever heard of it and he had to make up a response when he was put on the spot. He swore that Stroud was going to call him out on it but luck seemed to be on his side when Stroud didn't acknowledge him at all.

He managed to get out of that situation unscathed with his assumed identity still in tact…or so he thought. Hawke knew something…She had to have. He could feel it in his gut and his gut instincts had served him well in the past. He should cut his losses and leave the Inquisition behind.

As soon as the thought popped into his head, he dismissed it. He couldn't just leave the Inquisition now. The whole reason he joined was to find atonement wasn't it? He hung his head in shame. He hasn't changed one bit from that man in the past. He is still the same selfish prick that only looks out for himself and was content to leave others holding the bag. He turned from the group, the feeling of disgust welling up within him. Perhaps it would be better for the Inquisitor to know the truth. Perhaps it was time for him to stop running from his past. He sighed and left his hiding spot , heading down the hall leading to the courtyard exit. His mind was a storm of thoughts, his heart a whirlwind of emotion. The one and only thing that he knew for certain was that he was tired of running from a past that seemed intent on catching up with him.

Hawke was frustrated. She wanted to question Kira about Blackwall but she knew he was watching them. She would be a fairly crappy rogue if she hadn't noticed him in that big clunking armor. He isn't exactly the most stealthy sort. Blackwall's slinking around however just solidified his suspicion in her mind. Still, she didn't want to tip her hand early by asking Kira about him while he was within earshot. So instead of being able to ask the question she wanted to, she was relegated to making small talk with the Inquisitor. It wasn't an unpleasant task. She genuinely liked the Inquisitor and enjoyed speaking with her, however, she couldn't ignore the frustration she felt at not getting to ask the questions she wanted.

Finally deciding to give up on her inquiry, Hawke bid the Inquisitor a good night and she and Varric made their way to his room. Within the seclusion of Varric's room, Hawke began to peel off her bloodstained armor with Varric watching her slow teasing movements in silence.

"Wasn't Kira heading in the direction of Cullen's room?"

"Oh you didn't know? Those two are totally a thing now. Kissed on the battlements and all," Varric replied as he tossed his duster to the side. Hawke's eyes widened in surprise before her face lit up into a smile.

"Another successful match! Do you think they will name their daughter after me?"

"What, Hawke? I don't think so," Varric replied.

"Not Hawke, my first name…the one you refuse to use," Hawke said flatly.

"I use it all the time," Varric replied just before pushing her now nude form down to the bed. Before she could get up, he climbed on top of her, pinning her down. She looked up to him with an amused smile.

"Shouldn't we clean ourselves first? I'm all sweaty."

"What for? We are going to just get dirty again anyway," Varric replied just before swooping his head down to kiss her neck. Hawke tilted her head to the side allowing him more access. She let out a groan as Varric kissed her neck. She squirmed beneath him, as he paid extra attention to the spot he knew shot tingles throughout her body.

"You're frisky tonight, dwarf," Hawke managed to get out in between another moan. Varric froze at these words. She was right. He was always up for quality time with Hawke, but he was being unusually pushy about it today. He was so bothered by what happened earlier that the only thing he wanted to do was claim her as soon as they were alone together in an effort to remind her of who she was with and why she should stay. It was a stupid thought and he couldn't understand for the life of him why it got into his head. He shouldn't feel threatened by Blackwall but he was and it was driving him crazy. He crawled from atop of Hawke and moved to sit near the edge of the bed.

"What was the deal with you and Blackwall earlier?" He asked.

Hawke sat up frustrated that he stopped so suddenly and confounded that he brought up Blackwall.

"You want to talk about, Blackwall? Right now?" Hawke asked incredulously.

"I'm serious, why were you flirting with that guy like that? I mean at least pick someone less...boring," Varric said, muttering the last sentence.

Hawke stared at Varric, her mouth open in surprise. He was accusing her of flirting with him? When did she flirt with him? Her gut reaction to was to yell at him and put him in his place but her anger gave way to something else. In the time that she and Varric had been together, never had he shown anything even akin to jealously. Hawke got on all fours and crawled across the bed to him, a huge smile on her face.

"You're jealous of Blackwall?"

"This is not funny, Layla. Answer the question."

"You are serious about this?"

"Do I look serious?" Varric asked with a pout.

"You look adorable is what you look," Hawke replied teasingly.

"Layla," Varric said warningly.

"Varric, I have no idea what you are talking about. I wasn't flirting with Blackwall," Hawke replied, adjusting her position so she was kneeling on the bed next to him. "Why would you even think I was?"

"You've been staring at him the majority of the time that we were in Crestwood. Not to mention that crack about liking hairy men. So what's the deal?"

"I _do_ like hairy men...or have you forgotten?" She replied raising a brow.

"Fine, don't be serious about this," Varric snapped as he pushed himself off of the bed. Before he could get too far away, he felt Hawke's arms wrap themselves around his thick neck. He felt her soft cheek press against his back.

"I've never seen you so upset about something like this before. You really think that I was flirting with Blackwall?"

"You WERE flirting with Blackwall. That isn't in question. The question is why," Varric replied. He felt Hawke stiffen behind him. After a few moments of silence, he felt a puff of air onto his back.

"I was just joking about the hairy thing. I was thinking of you when I said it. As for the staring, it wasn't eyes of admiration or affection. It was more like eyes of suspicion."

At this, Varric turned slightly in her arms so he could see her face. After a few beats of silence, he sighed. If he knew Hawke as well as he boasted he did, then she wasn't lying. He really hoped he knew her as well as he thought he did.

"Suspicion of what exactly?" Varric asked.

"Stroud told me there was something off about Blackwall. Of course in his frustrating secretive Warden way, he didn't tell me exactly what it was," Hawke said with a frustrated scowl as she pulled her arms from around Varric and folded it over her chest.

Varric stroked his chin.

"You know what? Now that you mention it, I thought that Stroud would get jumpy at the fact that we brought a Warden when he was actively trying to avoid wardens, but he seemed to react more to the Inquisitor than Blackwall. Now that I think of it, he didn't react to Blackwall at all. Like he didn't even acknowledge him. That's kind of weird isn't it? Stroud has been with the order a while right? He should know who's who so why didn't he speak to him?" said Varric. Hawke nodded in agreement.

"I noticed that as well. I wanted to ask the Inquisitor where she found Blackwall and exactly how much she knew about him but he was there. I think he knows that I know something's up."

Varric turned his head to the side to hide his expression. "I noticed that, but I thought he was watching you for an entirely different reason," Varric replied.

"Okay, hold up. You have to explain this to me. Why are you suddenly jealous? I mean you didn't bat an eye when Anders was practically drooling over me or when Fenris showed interest in me...I think Sebastian even hit on me once. You never said a word about any of them...I mean granted they all seemed to lose interest rather quickly, but during that time, you were quiet as a chantry girl in the middle of prayer. So what's the deal dwarf? Why did Blackwall get under your skin so easily?"

Varric grimaced. He wasn't one hundred percent sure he wanted to disclose something that he had been hiding from Hawke all this time. He wasn't exactly sure what her response would be when she found out the truth. What she didn't know is that he actually did not like the affection their companions lavished on her. Before they were together, he was content to sit on the sidelines and see who Hawke would choose, but when she chose him, he worked quickly to eliminate the competition, so to speak.

Anders was particularly difficult to get rid of. Since Hawke was kind to mages, probably due to her relationship to her father and sister, he was practically infatuated with her. It took a considerable amount of effort on Varric's part to convince Anders that his affections might bring her more trouble than it was worth. Begrudgingly, Anders agreed and eventually, his obsession with freeing the mages overpowered any desire he had for Hawke.

Part of Varric felt guilty for this. He wondered if his interference in Anders' pursuit of Hawke is what led him down such a dark path. If he stepped out of the way and let the two be together, would Anders had turned out differently? Would Hawke have been able to keep Justice from turning into Vengeance? In truth, his interference wouldn't have changed Anders and Hawke's relationship. When Anders stopped his pursuits, she was noticeably relieved as she found him overly clingy. Still a part of Varric had a guilt that gnawed in the back of his mind over the entire situation.

Fenris and Sebastian were a bit easier to deal with. He just gave them new targets to distract themselves with. For Fenris, he steered Isabella his way. It was a loveless relationship but Fenris seemed to mellow out a bit from the frequent bouts of love making they would engage in, which everyone was grateful for. For Sebastian, it was Bethany. The both of them were so sweet together one could get tooth rot just watching them, but they were happy so the others were happy for them.

Varric would be the first person to admit that what he did could be considered morally wrong, but if given the decision, he would do it again in a heartbeat. The relationship he had with Hawke was quite possibly the best thing to happen to him, especially after the catastrophic shit show that was his relationship with Bianca.

Hawke was eyeing him now, waiting for an answer. Perhaps he could distract her, but what could he say to get her mind off of it?

"Varric..." Hawke began.

Varric swallowed hard to try to lubricate his throat that suddenly felt insanely dry. Hawke opened her mouth to say something more but he cut her off and said the first thing that came to his mind.

"Marry me," he said. He winced as soon as he realized what came out of his mouth. This is what happens when his brain and mouth don't work in tandem. He wanted to say forget it, he wanted to say he didn't mean it but once again, his brain wasn't following his instructions. Hawke's eyes widened into surprise.

"W-what the fuck, Varric?"

"So that's a no?" He said, his voice denoted more disappointment than he intended it to. He was surprised at the sudden pang he felt in his chest at the thought.

"You ask me to marry you after accusing me of flirting with Blackwall? Seriously?"

"I didn't apologize for that one did I? Sorry about that...It's just...from my perspective-," he paused. "No, I should know better. I'm sorry, Layla...forgive me?"

Hawke eye twitched in annoyance as she looked at him. His eyes were cast down, unable to meet her gaze head on. Hawke rolled her eyes and lifted Varric's chin before giving him a quick peck on the lips. "I can't stay mad at you dwarf."

Varric smiled and climbed back on the bed and pushed Hawke down as he peppered her with kisses. She giggled but pushed him away, stopping his assault.

"Were you serious about the whole marry me thing?"

Varric gave her a sheepish grin. "Kinda?" The look she shot him made him adjust his response quickly. "Okay, okay...yes."

"Seriously? I thought you were just trying to distract me from answering my earlier question," Hawke replied.

"Well I was-," Varric replied but stopped when he felt Hawke swat at his chest and call his name in a chastising fashion.

"What? Two birds one stone."

"So romantic, catch me before I swoon," Hawke replied flatly.

"I do want to marry you, Layla. I've been sitting on asking you for awhile because it never seemed like the right time. First you were always distracted with everyone coming up to you with their problems. Then Blondie went and blew up the Chantry and Kirkwall needed help more than ever. Then there was the exalted march and the Templars turning on you, me getting kidnapped by Cassandra...so yeah...never had a good time," said Varric.

"So why now? During all of this?"

"Because I have no idea how this is going to turn out...I guess, I want to be able to say you were my wife for as long as I can...in case-"

"Don't...don't say it, Varric," Hawke interrupted. "I don't even want to think of losing you and if you are going to marry me for that reason then my answer is no. Live and ask me again when all of this is over."

"I may have gotten a little fatalistic there but I still want to marry you...now, not later. I don't want to leave this up to chance. I don't want to look back and regret anything. I've already waited too damn long to ask you. Don't make me wait anymore. I have no plans on dying, but you know as well as I do that with the crazy shit that's going on, no one knows how it's going to turn out. Marry me Layla Hawke. Make a semi-honest dwarf out of me."

"Ah just imagine the story we can tell our friends," Hawke then scrunched her eyebrows together and gave the best brooding face she could muster before she did a hilariously poor imitation of Fenris' voice.

"Well Hawke? How did the Dwarf propose to you?" She shifted back to her regular voice to answer herself.

"Oh you know, we were lying nude on his bed and he accused me of flirting with another guy then said hey marry me so I can say we did it in case I die,"

"Pretty sure I asked better than that...but please do that Fenris impression in front of him next time we see him and make sure I am there," Varric replied as he slid off of Hawke once more.

He headed to a corner of the room and pulled up one of the stones making up the floor of his room. He reached down into the dark depths and pulled out an iron box. It was clearly of dwarven make. He replaced the stone and bought the box over to the bed and sat it next to Hawke before going to the opposite side of the room and pulling up another stone. Hawke watched him curiously as he fished a brass key from its hiding place. He replaced the stone and returned to Hawke's side.

"Varric, what's-," Hawke began.

"Just watch," Varric said, cutting her off. He ran his hands along the box with practiced hands until he found what he was looking for. He pushed in a hidden switched which in turn revealed a keyhole. He inserted the key into the hole and unlocked the box. From within the box, he retrieved another box of similar make but of smaller size. He held the smaller box out to Hawke and pulled it open revealing his signet ring. Unlike the one Hawke retrieved for him so long ago, this one was of smaller size and adorned with tiny diamonds, giving it a distinctly elegant appearance. Hawke gasped at the sight of it.

"So, would you consider adding Tethras to your last name?" Varric asked with a smile.

"Adding? You wouldn't want me to replace it?"

"Nah, I wouldn't ask that of you. I know how much your name means to you and I think you are a bit too famous to just replace it,"

"Shit...you're really serious about this, how long have you had this?" Varric opened his mouth to reply when Hawke cut him off.

"No it doesn't matter, I don't care. Yes, YES! I'll marry you, Varric!" She pushed herself off of the bed, tackling him sending them both careening to the floor. Varric landed on his back with an oof then chuckled as he snaked an arm around her waist, holding her against him as she peppered his face with kisses.

"You had me scared shitless for a minute there," he said.

"Sorry, I guess I couldn't believe that you were really asking me. I always wanted you too but I kind of thought it wouldn't happen. I mean I sort of still can't believe it. Won't the merchant's guild disapprove of this?"

"Don't you worry about them, I made sure to grease the proper palms and exploit all the loopholes I could find to make sure I was squared away with them before I even got the ring made. Give me your hand," he replied.

Hawke raised herself off of Varric and held out her hand obediently. Varric retrieved the box which tumbled out of his hand during the fall and removed the ring from its confines. He slid it slowly onto her finger and kissed her hand once it was in place. Hawke looked at the ring with a smile that slowly slid into a frown.

"I won't be able to wear this around my finger though...with the amount of fighting I do...," She said sadly.

"I know, I'm way ahead of you," Varric replied, pulling out a chain from the box. The chain was made up of beads similar to the ones Varric war around his own neck but of smaller size. "I just wanted to see what it would look like on your finger."

Hawke smiled and took the chain in hand. "I think I'll keep it on my finger, at least for the night."

"You should probably get dressed," Varric replied as he idly thumbed the ring on her finger, his heart swelling in happiness at the sight of it. This was happening, this was really happening. In his heart, he had no doubt that this one would go better than the last. Hawke wouldn't leave him standing at the altar.

"Get dressed? Why?" Hawke asked, taking her eyes off the ring and turning them to him.

"So we can go to the find one of those Chantry mothers...one of those pious ladies have to still be up. All they do all day is pray."

"Wait...you want to get married now?"

"Yup. Thought I made that clear?"

"You actually did not make that clear...like at all. What about our friends? Oh and Bethany! She would kill me if we got married without her being there."

"They don't need to know...this is just for us. We'll have another wedding when this is all over and we are back in Kirkwall."

For a brief moment, Varric felt fear. He felt the memory of rejection creep back into his mind. He steeled himself to hear the words no spill from Hawke's lips but they never came.

"Okay, let's do it. Let's get married."

Varric breathed a sigh of relief and enveloped Hawke into a tight hug. Whatever happened tomorrow or the next day didn't matter. All that mattered was that tonight, Layla Hawke would become his wife.


End file.
